


Shadows and Light: The Coming of Shadows

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, BDSM, Drama, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-05-14
Updated: 1999-05-14
Packaged: 2018-11-11 02:40:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 74,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11139510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived atDue South Archive. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDue South Archive collection profile.





	Shadows and Light: The Coming of Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

Shadows & Light I: The Coming of Shadows

 

"

## Shadows & Light I: The Coming of Shadows

"  
A New  
Due South Story  
By Red Skye  
=======================  
 **RATINGS [A.R] [A.U] [R] [X.S]  
M/F & M/M pairings, sex of the gratuitous kind, the  
romantic kind, consensual and otherwise. Also for violent  
incidents.**  
Notes:  
This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY.  
It was inspired by a line in another story I'm working on  
in which someone asks Ray, "What would you do if you couldn't  
be a cop?"  
At least one character will be out of character, but the  
reasons for that will be obvious along the way.  
This story comes with a Vicious Vicky warning - yes,  
Victoria. If you think Vicky's a good girl at heart - stay  
away.  
And last not least, this explores the possibility of  
Victoria's secret having a very different ending, because Ray  
wasn't  
there to stop her succeeding. Imagine most events  
occurred as they did in that episode, minus Ray being involved  
and  
you'll be on the right wave length.  
  
For an explanation of my ratings and more stories try my  
Due South fanfic archive for all my available finished works  
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/9377/02index.html  
  
*---==================(*)==================---*  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray's career came to an end in a way he would never have  
imagined it would. As a favor he'd agreed to take part in a  
stake out Huey and Gardino were carrying out. It lasted longer  
than  
they had expected it to. Due to this fact, and the fact  
they couldn't  
give up on it when they were so close to success  
they had needed  
to find someone else to assist. So they could  
take turns to go to  
court to testify at a trail.  
They were able to get the prosecutor to get permission  
for them to testify on different days.  
Ray took Huey's place when he had to leave to testify. He  
returned when it was Gardino who had to go to court to  
testify.  
Somehow, they never found out how, the man they were  
staking out found them out, Ray wondered why it was taking him  
so  
long to enter his apartment after entering the building it  
was contained  
in. He assumed he may have met someone in the  
building corridors, and might be chatting with them, and  
checked his watch again. He muttered to Huey that if the man  
didn't show up at his apartment within the next minute he'd  
slip out and investigate it.  
The man showed up, but it was not at the apartment across  
the way that they had under surveillance. It was at the  
apartment they were staked out in. The man's arrival was  
announced by a hard kick that sent the door flying open. That  
act  
was followed by a stream of hot lead sent their way. Huey  
was able  
to dive for what little cover the room had, its card  
table, which  
he flipped over and returned fire from behind. He  
heard the glass  
of the windows shattering and assumed it was  
smashed by a bullet, he was wrong.  
One of his shots took out the miscreant, after he went down,  
Huey  
moved in fast to kick his gun away, and see if he was  
alive, which he wasn't. After assuring himself the man was  
no longer a threat Huey looked around for Ray. A chill  
cavorted up and down his spine when he saw that Ray was no  
where in sight. The reason was obvious, instead of a bullet  
hole or two in the glass of the window, there was nothing left  
in  
the window except slivers of glass and a broken frame.  
He ran to the window and looked out. Ray was there,  
sprawled in a heap on the fire escape his body awkwardly  
jammed between a side rail and the mesh base. Blood stained  
his shirt, spreading rapidly at his shoulder, and blood ran  
down the side of his face in a crimson stream. His face had a  
distinctly  
bluish tinge and his lips were starting to turn  
grey.  
With an oath, Huey scrambled out of the smashed window  
and onto the fire escape, irrespective of the risk involved,  
he moved Ray into a far more comfortable position. He put his  
ear  
to Ray's mouth but couldn't hear him take a breath. How  
much time had passed, when did he stop breathing, it seemed  
like an eternity had passed to Huey.  
Huey tried his pulse but couldn't find one. He realized  
the blood wasn't running down Ray's face, it was congealing  
there and pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial resting  
it  
awkwardly onto his shoulder and repositioned Ray as best he  
could.  
"Officer Down," he blurted when it was answered and out  
came the details as fast as he could relay them.  
He tilted the Ray's head, clearing his air way then the  
phone went down and he started mouth to mouth, and alternated  
between  
breathing air into Ray's lungs with CPR.  
Huey had continued working over Ray with mouth to mouth  
and heart massage until the paramedics arrived to take over.  
Huey had almost needed a little recus himself, holding his  
breath waiting to hear that first ragged breath Ray had drawn  
in  
as they worked over him. His knees had gone weak with  
relief when he heard one triumphantly state that they had a  
weak thready pulse  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
They would never learn if Ray had thrown himself out the  
window to escape the gun fire, he'd known the fire escape was  
there.  
Yet there was an equal chance he'd hit the window  
when he was shot and kept going through it to hit the fire  
escape. It was a moot point, along with the bullet in his  
shoulder he'd sustained two head wounds. Legacy of his head  
hitting the side rail of the fire escape. The worst wound was  
a skull  
fracture the other was a nasty looking gash on his  
head that required 16 stitches to close.  
Ray was comatose for near on a month before he began his  
slow return to consciousness. It began with little twitches,  
of fingers and toes. The nurses who performed his bed baths  
noticed it happening when he was bathed. The movements he  
began making progressed gradually from little twitches to limb  
movement  
and incoherent mumbling.  
That was the point when the staff tending to his needs  
cleaned his eyes and waited for them to open. Ray's eye lids  
fluttered first, then opened a fraction, before he uttered his  
first  
coherent words, which confused the hell out of the  
medical staff.  
"It was the real estate guy,"  
Then he slipped into a deep sleep.  
His family for the most part were confused when they were  
informed of his return to consciousness and first words. It  
was Frannie who worked it out and she laughed making them look  
at  
her to ask what she was laughing about.  
She recovered the bag she took with her to the hospital  
when it was her turn to sit by Ray's bedside, and pulled out a  
book.  
A mystery/thriller novel.  
"Fraser and I have been taking turns at reading this to  
him. One of the characters runs a real estate agency," Frannie  
informed them, then she opened it and looked through the last  
few  
pages and chuckled.  
"What do you know, he's right, it was the real estate  
agent."  
Fraser was contacted to be told the good news and the  
family celebrated Ray's return to the land of the living, and  
the  
fact that he'd been able to deduce who the bad guy in  
the story he'd been read - before Fraser and Frannie had  
read more than half of it to him - was even more reason to  
celebrate. Or so they thought.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray tired easily and managed to sleep through every  
visitation he'd had over the next three days. Then his mother  
timed  
her next visit to be there at a time the doctor told her  
Ray usually  
awoke at. She was there beside the bed in the  
visitor's chair when he opened his eyes and looked around. She  
smiled  
down at him, touching his arm, uttering the usual spiel  
people utter  
at a time like that. He silenced her with a  
question, "Who are you?"  
He reacted the same way to every visitor who came, his  
sisters, his brother in law, Fraser, even Welsh. Family,  
friends and associates, he was indiscriminate, he'd no idea  
who any of them were. He could put a name to three of them,  
Francesca, Maria and Benton, but only because he'd heard  
others talking to them and refer to them by their names, but  
he did not know *who* they were until someone told him  
Francesca and Maria were his sisters.  
When Ray was asked who he was, he was able to answer,  
Raimondo Vecchio - but it was not so much a case of  
remembering that was his name. It was more a case of hearing  
numerous staff referring to him as Mr Vecchio. "I'm just  
going  
to do this, Mr Vecchio, I'm just going to do that, Mr  
Vecchio," He'd heard it while he was lying on his hospital  
bed,  
unable to find the strength to move or even open his  
eyes. That and other visitors who called him Ray or Raimondo  
lead him to deduce his name was Raimondo Vecchio, Ray for  
short.  
He did not know what his middle name was, when had been  
born, where he lived, who his family were, if he was single,  
married, divorced or otherwise, straight or gay - or that  
there was a difference. He knew only what he'd been told and  
had been able to deduce from conversations over heard, and  
things he'd noticed.  
He wondered about the tall, pale, blue eyed visitor he  
remembered had been among his regular visitors while he'd  
been comatose. He remembered the man's voice, the little  
things he talked about. He knew his name was Benton, he'd  
heard several people mention his name, and heard him respond  
to it. He deduced they were friends, possibly more, after all  
he  
was the only non family member who had been a regular at  
his bed side.  
Now he was no longer a visitor. He'd come by twice  
after realizing Ray no longer knew who he was and had  
stopped coming. Ray made up his mind to find out more about  
the man. The man with no past, had a middle name and it was  
curiosity.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
As Ray's strength returned, he was released into his  
family's care to return home. By the end of his first day back  
home  
he was starting to wish he'd stayed at the hospital.  
The way they looked when he failed to recognize things around  
the  
house, the way the little tykes of the family (his nephews  
and nieces)  
reacted when they realized he had no idea who they  
were, the way  
they kept trying to bring a few memories back,  
with food, photos and various items all got to him.  
He was extremely grateful when the woman he'd been told  
was his mother announced that was enough for one day and  
showed him up to the room he was told was his to sleep.  
He was asleep within a few minutes of settling down on  
the bed. But his body clock had become used to the hospital's  
schedule,  
the times the staff tended to him, when trolley's  
rattled past and people visited him. He was awake in the early  
morning  
before anyone else.  
He crept through the house trying not to wake anyone,  
hoping to put off their well meaning attempts to help him  
remember his life. He found the toilet and bathroom and tended  
to  
his needs before he made his way back to his room.  
The next thing he did was to open his wardrobe and  
dressers to investigate what was on offer. He assumed he was  
some kind of office worker, or maybe even a writer, of  
mysteries, the way his mind worked seemed to indicate it. Then  
he  
found something tucked away in the back of his wardrobe  
encased in a garment bag that set him straight. It was a  
police uniform.  
That on its own was not enough to set him straight, it  
could be a costume, there were a few of them tucked away, but  
he  
also found the hat to go with the uniform, the accruements  
he assumed  
a real cop had, handcuffs, a night stick, a draw  
contained a badge, a license, and police ID  
He smiled faintly when he saw that and discovered he was  
a detective. That explained the way his mind worked, the  
uniform and other accruements of a police officer he'd  
found. It also inspired him to keep searching his room to find  
out  
more about the man he'd been.  
His mother found him sitting on his bed, with some of his  
storage containers, paper scattered around the bed, along with  
nick  
knack's of all kinds. There was a case with a medal, open  
on the  
bed, along with a small jewelry case, containing a  
wedding ring among other things.  
He found it all interesting and was gradually building a  
profile of the man he'd been in his head. He was not sure  
whether or not he liked it. And what he did not like about it  
was  
that he could not understand how a police detective could  
afford  
to own a home like the one the title deeds he found  
said was his. Added to that there were the papers for two  
cars, one a Mercedes Benz, magazines he'd read at the  
hospital told him it was a prestige car, and prestige cars  
came with high price tags.  
Other papers he found told him how much he earned in a  
year. And he'd read enough magazines to know the clothes in  
his wardrobe were designer clothes and did not come cheap.  
Then there was the little matter of an ex-wife he apparently  
paid alimony too on top of that. He assumed his father was  
either dead or had walked out on the family because he'd yet  
to meet the man, which probably meant he supported his mother  
as  
well.  
His fears were compounded when he heard his mother walk  
in and looked up to see the look on her face. She did not look  
happy.  
In fact she looked worried.  
"Raimondo, you have visitors."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
His visitors turned out to be from the Internal Affairs  
department, and his mother had apparently made a phone call,  
and forbade them entry until she was ready to let them in. Her  
call  
yielded results in the form of Lieutenant Welsh arriving  
with a lawyer  
in tow. Only when they arrived did Mrs Vecchio  
allow the I.A agents to enter accompanied by Welsh and the  
Lawyer.  
The interview took place around the dining table, and it  
turned into a very short one. They wanted to talk to him about  
Constable  
Fraser, or as one of them put it, the Mountie.  
"Mountie? I thought this was Chicago."  
"It is," Welsh told him.  
"So why are they asking me about a Mountie? What's a  
Mountie doing in Chicago?"  
"They mean your friend Benton, you remember him, from the  
hospital,  
don't you?"  
"Oh. Do you mean the tall blue eyed guy that made the  
nurses become ever so helpful whenever he was around?"  
"That would be Benton, he has that affect on women."  
"Enough  
of the games."  
"Games, you want to play a game, try playing who am I?  
What I know about this Mountie is limited to what he looks  
like, the fact he has no trouble with big words, because he  
would read to me at the hospital, and that he's a babe magnet.  
If  
you have questions about him, ask someone else, because I  
can't answer them."  
"I'm sure you were informed Detective Vecchio suffered a  
head  
injury which is why he's on medical leave, he's suffering  
near total  
amnesia," Welsh said, "His memories consist of  
memories  
of what's happened since he came to his senses in the  
hospital and  
no further."  
"How convenient," one of the I.A officers sneered.  
Mrs Vecchio who had been eavesdropping until that moment  
stopped eavesdropping, and returned to give the I.A officers a  
piece  
of her mind. They were left with no doubts that there  
was nothing convenient about it. That she hoped they found out  
how  
devastating it was to loose your past, to consider your  
whole family and everyone you once knew strangers. To not even  
remember  
the layout of the home you had lived in all your  
life. On and on she went, until they departed with her on  
their heels, continuing to rant at them till she slammed the  
door on their heels.  
Curiosity being his new middle name, Ray asked Welsh why  
they wanted to interrogate him about Benton, and if he really  
was  
a Mountie?  
"Yes, he was. He came to Chicago on the trail of his  
father's killer and ended up as the deputy liaison officer at  
the  
Canadian consulate here. You helped him to find his  
father's killer, and the man who hired him to kill his father  
and  
you became friends in the process."  
"Uh-hu. And what do those Internal Affairs people want? I  
mean  
why would they be asking questions about a Mountie,  
unless they're Canadian internal affairs?"  
"They're not. Before I tell you more... It would help if  
you  
tell me what he talked about when he visited you at the  
hospital."  
"I don't think it would help much. Most of the time he  
just read something to me, a book, a magazine or a newspaper,  
he  
stopped coming after he found out.. I didn't remember  
anything about him. I mean, at first he didn't realize it,  
'cause I knew his name, but then he found out it was just  
because I'd heard people mention his name and heard him  
respond to it, just like I did with Francesca."  
Then he leaned toward Welsh.  
"Do you know why she always looks like she's going to cry  
when  
I call her Francesca?"  
"You called her Frannie."  
"Oh.. I'll have to remember to call her that.. It's  
really terrible, them being so nice and all to me, and me not  
knowing  
the right things to do or say. And it's all the little  
things they  
get upset about. If I ask them why they're upset, it  
just makes them  
more upset. I learned my lesson with Benton..  
He stopped coming when  
he worked it out."  
"They're your family, Ray. They're not going to wash  
their hands of you because you have trouble remembering  
things."  
"But the police department will."  
"Amnesia doesn't have to be permanent. The doctor's said  
we  
just had to take things one day at a time. Your memory will  
return."  
"But what if it doesn't? I heard one of the doctors  
talking about me. They said I stopped breathing for a while,  
that I was clinically dead for a time.. That it could be brain  
damage  
resulting from that, not amnesia."  
Welsh stared at him.  
"Who said that? Did the doctor *tell* you that's what it  
was?"  
"I heard them.. out in the corridor.. they were talking  
about me. I know what Brain Damage is.. I was reading all  
about it in one of those magazines people brought for me to  
read and learn things about the world. Brain Damage means I'm  
never  
going to get better. Brain Damage means it's permanent,  
not temporary.  
What if I never remember anything.. What if.."  
"You listen  
to me, the Doctor I spoke to. The one who was  
assigned your case,  
the one who knew all you're details, and  
not just someone who only knew some of the facts, told me it  
was Amnesia, not brain damage. Amnesia. You wouldn't remember  
how  
to do anything let alone be able to have an intelligent  
conversation with us if it was brain damage. Do you  
understand?"  
Ray nodded slowly.  
"Your memory *will* return. It's a matter of when *not*  
if. When your family thinks your ready, we'll take you back,  
if your memory hasn't returned, we'll try to help it along,  
retrain you. The doctor said you can never tell what will  
trigger recall. And speaking of recall, I want you to recall  
the visits Benton made you at the Hospital. Did he say  
anything at all about what was going on in his own life?"  
Ray  
thought about it for some time sorting through the  
memories he could access.  
"Yeah, the last time I saw him, it was a really short  
visit, he looked pretty bad, like he hadn't slept in a while,  
he  
said someone shot someone called Diefenbaker. When I asked  
him who  
that was, he sighed, and told me it didn't matter. Oh,  
and the time  
before that, he was almost glowing, he was really  
happy, when I asked  
him what he was so cheerful about, he  
said, he'd been given a second chance with a woman called...  
Victoria."  
Welsh's note book came out and he made a note of that.  
"Did he tell you anything else about her?"  
"He said he met her about ten years ago... That it didn't  
work  
out back then.. Then he changed the subject."  
Welsh jotted that down.  
"He didn't mention her again?"  
"No. Those were the only times he ever mentioned what was  
going  
on in his life..."  
Ray nodded.  
"Did you ever see her?"  
"Nooo.. I don't think so.. But I remember.. The last time  
he  
came, I heard a woman saying I'll wait here while you talk  
to your  
friend. And when I looked around, he was walking in. I  
didn't see  
the woman though, just a shadow in the hall,  
through the door way.  
"Ah.. Do you recall if the shadow stayed there the whole  
time  
he was with you, and if it disappeared after he left?"  
Ray nodded  
and made a so-so gesture he'd seen people  
make.  
"I'm not sure if it disappeared when he walked out,  
because a nurse came and said he'd to leave because the  
Doctor wanted to examine me and would be arriving any minute..  
I  
was a little distracted.. I remember the next time I looked  
in that  
direction, after he left that it was gone.. I *think*  
I'm not to  
sure.. That I heard them talking in the hall, but  
like I said, I was distracted.. It might have been someone  
else out there."  
"What do you remember hearing? It could be important, if  
it  
was them."  
Ray thought hard about it, but shook his head.  
"The nurse was making noise.. I couldn't make it out. Why  
is  
it so important? Why are Internal Investigations asking  
about him?"  
Benton is the main suspect in a murder investigation."  
"What?!"  
"It involves a man who took part in a robbery over ten  
years ago, who escaped from jail recently. It seems they never  
recovered  
the stolen cash. And Benton captured and arrested  
one of the people involved. Now it turns out that the RCMP  
found a substantial amount of cash at his cabin in Canada when  
they  
were investigating a fire that broke out there. The  
serial numbers match the serial numbers of the stolen cash,  
more money with serial numbers that are a match for the list  
of serial numbers of the stolen cash has also been turning up  
around  
Chicago. And it seems he was the one spending it. It  
even turned up at the hospital. The day after the murder,  
around the time he visited you for the last time."  
"They think he found and kept the money."  
Welsh nodded.  
"But what does that have to do with me?"  
"They're probably thinking you may have known something  
about it."  
"Has he been arrested?"  
"No. He... vanished."  
"Was the guy who was shot called Diefenbaker?"  
"No.. Diefenbaker was Benton's wolf. It was shot three  
days before the murder, and his apartment was turned upside  
down. He reported it, and mentioned a woman, Victoria. She was  
there  
at the time it happened, he wasn't."  
"Where was he?"  
"He left to buy some food, when he got back, she was  
gone, his apartment had been ransacked, and his wolf had been  
shot."  
"Did you find the woman?"  
Welsh sighed.  
"There was a woman called Victoria who was involved in  
the bank robbery. She was the one he captured and arrested.  
She was killed in a car accident sometime ago, *before* he  
claims to have met the woman .."  
"The robbery was ten years ago."  
Welsh nodded.  
"That's when he met her. That's what he said, he said he  
met  
her ten years ago, and it didn't work out..."  
"I noticed."  
"If I were you, I'd find out how the woman was supposed  
to have died, who i-deed the body and if the money started  
showing up around town *after* he says he ran into her. I  
don't know all the details, but it already sounds fishy to me."  
"We can't find a single person who saw that woman with  
him, entering or leaving his apartment, or the building it's  
in. That's why Internal Affair's is in on it. You and Benton  
were.. unofficial partners.. They think he kept the money and  
that  
you might know something about it."  
"Sooo they think I'm dirty.."  
"They think everyone's dirty.. It's part of the  
territory. Their always trying to prove people are not on the  
up  
and up."  
Ray didn't mention that he suspected they had good reason  
to suspect him.  
"That woman.. *No* one saw her?"  
"Not that we can find."  
"I bet that nurse saw her hovering around outside the  
room. I know her shadow was still out there when I heard the  
nurse come in and looked around."  
Welsh's eyes lit up.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser sat on the bed of the dingy hotel room he'd  
checked into the day before with Victoria. He hadn't seen her  
since  
she'd left to pick up a few things. He was starting to  
suspect his villainous lover had abandoned him when the door  
opened  
and she strolled in looking like the cat that got the  
canary.  
"Oh good, you're dressed. Come along we've got a lot to  
do today."  
"And what's on the agenda?"  
"Why giving you a complete new look, first the hair, I've  
made  
a booking for you at a good salon."  
Fraser discovered the salon she was talking about was a  
beauty salon, and his new look involved a full body dye job.  
Something Victoria demanded their male attendant take care  
off. The next step was to have hair extensions added and a  
fake tan applied, from top to toe. He spent an hour under a  
sun lamp, and Victoria smiled while all the other women in the  
waiting  
area drooled. With a slink Victoria joined Fraser and  
lead him out  
of the salon gaining every woman's envy.  
Their next stop was a second hand clothing store where  
Victoria pushed him into a change room before wandering  
through the store selecting clothes and tossing them in. She  
made him try everything she picked on. Half of it she decided  
looked  
horrible on and dumped and the other half she was sold  
on when the  
saleswoman drooled.  
The last thing she sent Fraser's way was a pair of denim  
pants and a denim coat. He changed into them and announced the  
pants  
were a little tight.  
"Come on out and show me."  
With a sigh, he did. She did not look at him, she looked  
at the saleswoman who's eyes went straight to his crotch.  
"Do you think they're too tight?" Victoria asked the  
woman.  
"I think they look wonderful."  
Victoria looked Fraser up and down, slowly.  
"We'll definitely take it. He'll wear it out."  
Fraser had learned early that doing what Victoria wanted  
without an argument was the best way to avoid pain and  
trouble. So he simply gathered up his clothes and carried them  
to  
the counter to be bagged with the rest of the purchases.  
Then he followed her down the street, she carrying the bags,  
he walking along side. Women gave him the eye all the way back  
to  
the hotel some subtly others blatantly. Victoria seemed to  
enjoy  
it.  
He opened his mouth to ask why, but never got the chance,  
she tossed the bags, grabbed the coat and swung him around to  
shove  
him off balance. He staggered back and lost his balance  
falling onto  
the bed.  
"Have I told you how ravishing you look right now," She  
said, before she proceeded to thoroughly ravish him to prove  
it.  
As she lay curled up at his side sleeping with a  
satisfied smile he stared up at the roof and sighed. It was  
getting harder and harder to satisfy her, he'd lost all  
desire for his company and the one time his body had failed to  
respond  
to her attentions she'd suggested a little game, tied  
him to the  
bed, and left him there for an hour. She'd  
returned with a soft leather cat'o'nine tails whip and lashed  
him  
the soles of his feet to his neck.  
The whip didn't break his skin, but it left bruises and  
it was quite some time before he could move without twinges of  
pain.  
From that point on, there was always a little game she  
wanted to play, a game that usually involved pain. Whether he  
was  
interested or not he found ways to satisfy her, when he  
didn't slight or bearable pain became something else. He found  
that  
fantasies worked best and when they failed, there were  
other ways he learned to give her what she wanted.  
His tinted skin flushed - with shame and he recalled the  
fantasy he'd indulged in while she'd her way with him. He  
had come so close to crying out a name that was not hers when  
he'd  
finally cum, and knew that if he did not get away from  
her soon he would make a mistake that could prove lethal.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Many people thought that it was just a matter of time  
before Ray's memories returned and he returned to work. But as  
the  
weeks passed and became months it became apparent the man  
he'd been  
had as good as died and a new man was born when he  
came out of his coma. He started his new life with all the  
instincts of a detective, and devoured mystery, thriller and  
crime novels by the score to pass the time.  
He drifted through his days at first, rarely venturing  
outside the house, devouring books and magazines his mother  
and sisters brought for him, and watching lots of T.V learning  
about  
the world outside his home.  
He was polite, always, started using big words, and never  
raised his voice. When his sisters squabbled at the dinner  
table, he tried to mediate their arguments. At first this made  
them  
stop arguing, due to the fact their mother would give  
them the evil eye. But as time passed, they started telling  
him to butt out or ignored his attempts to mediate between  
them. Life at the Vecchio home started to revert to normal. At  
least  
for the rest of the family.  
For Ray things had changed, considerably. Mrs. Vecchio  
controlled his life, everything he ate, sometimes what he  
wore, what he could do. He could not leave the house without  
her demanding to know where he was going, why he was leaving,  
and  
if he said he wanted to get some new books, she told him  
to watch a little television and she would get one of his  
sisters to pick up some new books. If he wanted to go for a  
walk just to get some fresh air, she'd tell him to wait till  
someone could go with him, so he wouldn't get lost. If he was  
insistent,  
she'd make him wait. He couldn't get out unless  
she let him because she'd changed the locks, so they locked  
both ways. Only she could open the door.  
Once she accompanied him to the police station, and told  
him to wait for her and go nowhere while she spoke to someone.  
He  
realized it was the police station he must have been  
assigned to when people kept approaching him to say hello, how  
are  
you doing, good to see you. He didn't know who any of them  
were and  
they tended to scuttle off when they realized it.  
His mother returned with someone he recognized at last,  
Lieutenant Welsh. Lieutenant Welsh took him into the squad  
room and introduced him to a woman called Elaine. Ray gave her  
a  
polite smile and a how do you do. She showed him to the desk  
that  
used to be his, made him sit and introduced him to  
another part of his life he'd no memory of.  
He spent the day at the station, learning mainly by  
observing the ebb and flow of activity in the room, listening  
to  
the people. When Elaine was not otherwise occupied by  
requests for assistance she'd show him things, forms,  
papers, files, records, explain what people were doing. She  
gave him a tour of the station, told him what each of the  
rooms were and let him observe what went on in those rooms  
when he expressed an interest.  
A man who Elaine introduced him to, Detective Jack Huey  
took over mid way, and after a few false starts learned to  
answer Ray's questions with detailed answers or  
demonstrations, or to let him watch or see things. He also  
clucked, asking frequently if Ray wanted to sit down, to eat  
something, have a cup of coffee, etc.  
Ray politely said no, unless the questions were asked at  
times he was thirsty. His mother returned mid way through the  
day  
to make him take his medication, had another chat with  
Welsh, then departed. Ray's re-familiarization with the  
station ended with a trip to the shooting range, and a  
reintroduction to how to use and maintain a gun.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
"Shadows & Light I: The Coming of Shadows"  
A New Due South Story  
By Red Skye  
=======================  
This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY. Warnings etc in  
Chapter One.  
  
*---==================(*)==================---*  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
His family never gave up hope that his memories would  
return, and had hoped the delivery of Fraser's wolf,  
Diefenbaker, after the vet released him from care, would jog a  
memory  
or two. It failed.  
Ray was non-plussed as to why the Wolf had been brought  
to his home. But the animal seemed to like him, and had little  
trouble  
settling in with the family. It spent all its nights  
curled up on  
a rug by Ray's bed, or on it and on the rare  
times he ventured out, it followed him.  
He grew used to its company and accepted the fact he'd  
become its master by default. It also sparked his curiosity  
about the Wolf's former master again. All his ventures out of  
the  
house were to visit the precinct, to re-familiarise  
himself with that part of his life.  
He went through the tour again and again, until he was  
able to identify most of the rooms and say what they were used  
for,  
or what went on in them. Pleasing Elaine with his correct  
answers.  
Huey would take over at the end of each tour to take  
him back down  
to the shooting range for his lessons in how to  
use a gun until  
he learned to put a bullet where he was told  
to put it, to take  
a gun apart and clean it. To load and  
reload it at a speed Huey seemed pleased with.  
The first thing he would do when he returned home each  
time would be go to the bathroom fill the sink with hot water  
and  
soak his hands up past the wrists and complain about the  
recoil  
of the gun.  
He was glad when the next time he was taken to the  
station by his mother he was left alone to reacquaint himself.  
They  
permitted him to wander around without an escort, though  
Huey and  
Elaine kept a discrete eye on him when they could. Ray  
managed to  
find the personnel files and get into them and make  
a copy of his  
own file and wrapped it in a cloth he brought  
along and tucked it under his shirt.  
Then he wandered around a little before wandering back to  
his desk to sit and watch what went on in the squad room with  
interest.  
He sat up straighter when Welsh stopped by his desk.  
"How are  
you feeling?"  
"Fine, sir."  
"Bring back any memories?"  
"Er.. No.. I don't think so."  
Welsh handed him a glass of water and his pills and Ray  
took them thinking Mother strikes again.  
"Why don't you try reading a few files?" Welsh suggested  
waving at the files on his desk.  
Ray looked at them.  
"Can I do that?"  
"This is *your* desk, Vecchio. Your files and records,  
Everything was left the way you left it before the incident.  
Go  
over them. There's a note pad, pens that work, make notes,  
anything  
that comes to mind while you go through them.  
Elaine's just over there, if you have any questions or need  
any help, just call her."  
"Thank-you, sir."  
Welsh gave him a weak little smile and wandered off, and  
Ray saw him shudder as he did. Something that he noticed quite  
a  
few people seemed to do after talking to him.  
Ray went over all the files on the desk. Most were case  
records for former cases he'd worked on and he guessed that they  
were put there to jog a memory or two. Some were for still  
unsolved cases, and Ray poured over those reading every word.  
He  
covered several pages on his note pad with notes and  
questions. Every time he looked up to see if Elaine was busy,  
she  
was, so he made more notes, writing down all his  
questions.  
A man with curly hair approached moving to the desk  
across the way, and watched him for a while. Ray was almost  
pathetically grateful when he came to his desk and asked if he  
needed  
some help. He introduced himself as Louis Gardino,  
Detective, Huey's partner. Ray started bombarding him with  
questions. Gardino answered some then yelled for Elaine.  
Elaine hurried over and Gardino dumped it in her lap and  
disappeared. Elaine was very helpful answering all the  
questions she could, finding information and records, and with  
her  
help he soon covered a few more pages with notes. The next  
time  
she had to leave him to fend for himself while she  
assisted someone else Ray gathered up a file and his notes and  
approached  
Welsh's office to knock a little hesitantly on the  
door.  
Welsh looked up and called him in. Ray stepped in closing  
the door then approached the desk.  
"This was one of the cases on my desk.. I went over it as  
you  
told me to.. And Elaine helped me to make sense of it."  
He  
handed the folder to Welsh.  
"I made notes like you told me to."  
Welsh opened the file found the notes and set them aside  
and reacquainted himself with the facts of the case, then he  
looked  
over Ray's notes. Ray watched him give another little  
shudder, and  
crossed his arms. Welsh kept reading till he  
finished the set the notes down and looked up with a weak  
little smile.  
"This is very good, Vecchio, now what happens?"  
"Er.. You send someone around to arrest him?"  
"Uh-hu.. and.."  
"Er..."  
And so it went, with Welsh making him describe every step  
that had to be taken, making little notes of his own. That was  
followed  
by an interrogation about how and why Ray came to the  
conclusions  
he did, during which time three people came to the  
door making Welsh  
yell - "Can't you see I'm busy, Come back  
later" each  
time.  
Welsh covered quite a few pages of his legal pad with  
notes before he dismissed Ray to re-familiarise himself with  
the  
station and how things were done. Ray left with a list of  
things  
to ask Elaine to explain to him.  
He returned to his desk when he saw she was busy.  
Sitting, he unfolded the list to look it over.  
The next time Welsh stepped out, he looked around to see  
Elaine speaking with another detective and Ray no where in  
sight. He approached Elaine, and the other detective scuttled  
off.  
Welsh questioned Elaine and discovered Ray had not  
approached her with his list. He checked the desk and found a  
lone  
peice of garbage in the bin, the list screwed up into a  
little ball.  
Huey approached and Welsh told him to drop everything and  
find Ray. The station was searched and then the search was  
extended beyond its perimeter when someone at the desk  
remembered seeing him walk out during a particularly busy time  
of  
the afternoon.  
Several phone calls to the Vecchio residence followed.  
Mrs Vecchio response to the question of wether Ray had  
returned grew more frantic each time it was asked. Night fell,  
and  
a APB on Ray was put out.  
He was eventually found in the wee small hours of the  
morning, by a sharp eyed beat cop who noticed a flash of white  
in  
the shadows and investigated. He found Ray in a battered  
state, huddled up hidden in the shadows, between a dumpster and a  
wall, minus his suit and shoes, his shirt torn and covered in  
filth  
and blood most of which seemed to be his.  
He was quickly collected and transported to the hospital  
and examined. His cuts and bruises were tended to and he  
cleaned up and given an ice pack for his nose before being  
settled into a bed behind a screen to rest. Two police  
officers tried to question him, one being Welsh, he feigned  
sleep to avoid it. The next time he heard someone approach, he  
heard  
the nurse refer to Mrs Vecchio, and stopped feigning  
sleep. For once he was happy to see his mother and let her  
cluck.  
He asked her to take him home, in no time at all she was  
doing just that. There was food she made him eat, with a  
strange after taste, and after he started feeling tired, he  
realised the after taste was medication, she had crushed up  
his tablets and added them to his food. He was helped into his  
pyjamas  
and put to bed, tucked in and fussed over till he  
fell into a deep sleep.  
Bit by bit over the next day she got the story out of  
him, how he'd left the station and tried to go home, but  
could not remember the way. He'd wandered through the  
streets looking for familiar territory, trying to find his  
way. Asking people for directions, most people ignored him,  
those who listened couldn't help him. Hopelessly lost he'd  
wandered into the wrong part of town, and found trouble, twice  
over,  
first some punk thought he looked like a good target to  
rob. But  
all he had was his watch which was taken. He'd lost  
track of the  
time after that. He didn't know how long he'd  
wandered around trying to find his way home, or back to the  
station, completely lost.  
He'd wandered into the wrong territory and been set  
upon by a gang who taunted him, before they beat him up and  
stole his suit and shoes and left him battered, bleeding and  
dazed  
in the alley way where the beat cop had found him.  
She tried several times to find out why he'd left the  
station, after she had told him to stay until she or his  
sister came to collect him and take him home, but he wouldn't  
tell  
her. He lied, saying he'd just wanted to go for a walk  
for some fresh air.  
She passed everything onto Welsh, who knew Ray was lying  
about why he left. The screwed up list in the bin and the fact  
he  
hadn't discussed it with Elaine was evidence of that. He  
had goofed, he knew it. Ray had been offended, or frustrated,  
possibly  
both and being too polite to take his grievance to  
Welsh he had left the station in a snit.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The next day Ray leaned against the wall on the porch  
arms crossed, trying to keep calm. His mother was driving him  
right  
up a wall clucking over him. He had almost had a fight  
with her  
over Diefenbaker. He had done some reading, he knew  
what was considered  
a healthy diet for the Wolf, but his  
mother seemed hell bent on ignoring his instructions. Then he  
showed  
her the note from Benton the Vet had passed on, or part  
of the letter.  
It contained instructions on how to release  
Diefenbaker back into the wild (if possible) he announced that  
he  
wanted to do it and that had set his mother off ranting  
about the dangers, and how she expressly forbid it, how Dief  
had  
been domesticated, etcetera etcetera.  
He'd stomped off and been forced to climb through a window  
to get out of the house to cool off. He was frustrated and  
angry. He felt like a prisoner in a fancy cage. Mrs Vecchio  
was not his mother, she was his prison guard and warden all  
rolled into one.  
"Hello, Ray."  
Ray jumped startled from his thoughts and looked around  
to see Elaine standing at the bottom of the steps, dressed in  
casual  
clothes. He saw her wince when she got a good look at  
his bruised  
and puffy face with its scattering of butterfly  
clips and strips of gauze held down with bandaids.  
"Miss Bresbris, what are you doing here?"  
"Elaine, Ray, I told you to call me Elaine."  
"I'm sorry - Elaine."  
"I heard about what happened."  
He looked down at his feet, just what he needed to make  
his day complete.  
"I just wanted to make sure you were O.K."  
"I'm fine," he said in a grouchy tone.  
"Lieutenant Welsh is kicking himself about what happened.  
You  
don't have to.. be embarrassed, we understand, he was the  
one who  
made the mistake. Not you."  
He glanced up.  
"What?"  
"We all keep hoping you'll remember things, but you  
don't, you only know what we teach you."  
"*Yes*.. How am I supposed to know things if no one tells  
me  
how to do those things the right way."  
"He worked that out, but he handled it wrong. That case  
you  
reviewed, he was very pleased with the work you did."  
"He  
was?"  
"He gave it to Huey to follow it up. You were right, it  
was  
a insurance scam. For someone who doesn't remember much,  
you seem  
to have a real knack for.."  
"I read a lot of books. Mysteries, thrillers.. crime  
novels."  
"Oh."  
"You're horribly disappointed now, aren't you, because it  
doesn't  
mean *Detective Vecchio* is coming back, it's just me  
applying the  
things I learned from books and listening to what  
goes on in the  
squad room to jump to educated guesses."  
"Ray..."  
"Why don't you people just accept it, He's dead! He isn't  
coming  
back. I'm not Detective Vecchio, it was well and truly  
rubbed in  
my face the other day. I'm just a moron who can't do  
anything without  
a baby sitter to hold his hand and explain  
everything ever so carefully."  
She sighed.  
"What a pity that street gang or mugger didn't kill me  
and solve the whole damn problem."  
Elaine climbed the stairs and reached out to touch his  
arm.  
"Don't say things like that."  
"It's true. The only way you people will accept the truth  
is  
if I *physically* die. I am not that man, he's dead, he's  
not coming  
back, but I don't have a choice, I have to live his  
damned life,  
wether or not it's what I want to do. I have to  
do what I'm told  
and have my face rubbed in the fact I don't  
measure up to that cretin."  
"Ray!"  
Elaine began backing away as all the frustration, anger  
and resentment came spewing forth in a torrent of angry words,  
aggressive  
body language and finally the act of kicking and  
pounding at the wall - with him expressing his opinion of the  
way  
his mother controlled his life, loudly.  
Elaine fled while he was engaged in that activity. His  
mother came out and made him want to scream when her only  
response to it all was - "You didn't taken your medication,  
like you were supposed to, did you." and to take hold of his  
ear, twist it and drag him into the house by that painful hold  
on  
his ear.  
He was made to take his medication, and locked into his  
bedroom to calm down. He threw the temper tantrum to end all  
temper  
tantrums trashing his room before he worked it out of  
his system,  
then he sank to the floor amongst the mess and  
curled up into a little ball of misery and cried himself to  
sleep.  
When he awoke he found himself in his bed, his room spick  
and span minus the things he had smashed or broken during his  
tantrum.  
He also discovered the window was nailed shut, on the  
outside and  
that there were screws driven into the frame to  
make it impossible for him to open. His door he discovered had  
been  
fitted with a new lock, and locked.  
He grumpily prowled his room, then started searching it  
for the documents he'd found his first day home. He found  
his cel phone along the way. By the time his mother opened the  
door,  
he'd hatched a plan.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Lieutenant Welsh was happy to see that Ray returned,  
escorted by his mother again, and seemed eager to begin his  
re-education. Elaine had told him how miserable Ray was, but  
it  
seemed he had worked it out of his system and was now ready  
to get  
serious about rebuilding his life.  
He spent one day a week at his desk pouring over old  
records, and convinced Welsh and his mother to let him come  
more often. His mother would bring him into work, and either  
she  
or one of his sisters would come at the end of the day to  
take him  
home. Ray never tried to wander off again, he had  
learned his lesson.  
What no one noticed is that Ray was concealing maps  
behind files he was reading, and memorising details about the  
city.  
He was also getting ideas, from his books, and data from  
the files  
that helped him put his plan into action.  
He started being helpful, offering to run errands around  
the station for other people in the squad room, and soon  
people got used to him flitting around the station, not realising  
he was looking for ways out of the station other than the main  
doors.  
His mother didn't notice when he filched a little money  
from her purse, or the tiny bulge under his coat where his  
documents were concealed. No one noticed when he slipped out  
of  
the station and caught a taxi to start taking the first  
steps in setting up his new identity, and he needed money to  
do  
that. His first trip out unescorted since that disastrous  
day was  
brief and profitable. He withdrew a thousand dollars  
from his savings  
and returned to the station before anyone  
missed him.  
Later in the day he made another trip out to get a post  
office box and returned to the bank to get all his bank  
statements sent there and open a cheque account. He was back  
at  
the station before anyone missed him, and compliantly  
returned home to with his sister, to eat with the family  
before going up to his room. Fifteen minutes after he had his  
shower,  
Dief raised his head, looked at the door and gave a  
little whine.  
Ray heard the click of the lock and gave the door the  
finger, before patting the bed. The wolf jumped up and settled  
down  
to nap at his side while he went through the photo copies  
of records  
he'd made and concealed during the day and began  
making notes about getting the ball rolling.  
Each day he visited the bank, withdrawing a little more  
out of his account. Then he went to another bank to open an  
account there. At the end of the month he checked his bank  
statements and found that the department was depositing money  
in  
his main account each week, he arranged to have that  
automatically transferred to his new account. And two weeks  
later slipped out to mortgage the house to the hilt.  
At the end of the week, he tracked down a devious  
criminal who had been caught helping people create fake I.D  
papers more than once.  
He gave the man a return ticket to New York and a  
considerable amount of money taking the first step toward  
creating his new identity. A week later, he visited his post  
office  
box and smiled when he found a small parcel and a thick  
envelope.  
It contained a birth certificate, bank account,  
credit cards, a cheque book, lease for an apartment, even a  
licence and car registration papers, every thing he needed to  
set  
up a new life. There were pictures of his apartment, the  
ATV, maps  
with routes marked out, papers for a post office box  
and keys too.  
There was also a note, demanding another $5000 -  
cash, or else.  
Ray opened the parcel next and found a set of license  
parts and engine plates. He smiled. He had picked the right  
man for the job alright. The man got the $5000 he demanded,  
with an extra $500 for doing such a good job.  
Ray got a shock the next day he returned to the station.  
He discovered the man had been killed the night he returned,  
mugged  
for the money he had, and shot by his mugger when he  
resisted. He shuddered when he heard one of the cops  
discussing it say it could not have happened to a more  
deserving son of a bitch.  
He was shocked at their attitude, the attitude that he  
quickly came to realise most of the people around the station,  
and  
even the city had. Murder, aggravated assault, rape, it  
all was just another part of life and they only got excited  
about it when the media made a big fuss or if it happened to a  
cop.  
He was despondent too - at the loss of this contact, he'd  
needed the man, arranged to get his help to set up the  
next part of his plan. Now he needed to revise it and find  
another way to accomplish it.  
It came to him one night, after being locked into his  
room. He was reading yet another of his books when he came  
across the perfect plan, he just needed to adapt it to his  
needs. Which he spent two days doing.  
After that, he slipped out of the station as often as  
possible, catching cabs and visiting second hand clothing  
stores all over the city. Super stores, camping stores, and  
shoe shops. Everything he brought was packed, wrapped and  
mailed off to his new identity's post office box. He also  
talked his mother into helping him learn to drive again. She  
escorted  
him to and from a driving school on the days he was  
not at the station.  
He took out an insurance policy that would cover paying  
out the mortgage and then started withdrawing as much as he  
could, leaving just enough to cover the loan repayments.  
Everything else went into his new identity's bank account.  
He also started tentatively exploring his world first the  
streets around the station, then in increasing circles, and  
made sure he had a gun and stole a kevlar vest. He wore the  
vest under his clothes, and carried the gun everywhere he  
went. He was not going to be the victim of another mugging if  
he  
had anything to say about it.  
During his explorations he discovered a collection of  
burnt out wrecks and was overjoyed to discover one was of a  
car the exact model as his. He was not so overjoyed to  
discover a derelict's corpse inside it. He fought his  
instincts and stripped it to exam the corpse for signs of foul  
play  
and came to the conclusion he had died of natural causes.  
He should  
have reported it, but he didn't. He  
investigated to see if anyone knew about the site and found  
out while it was known about no one had really investigated  
the wrecks.  
Elaine wondered why he had a smile on his face for the  
rest of the day, and when she expressed her curiosity he  
clapped her arms and said, it's because it's a beautiful day  
to  
be alive. She wandered off, and gave a little nod to a  
fellow officer who'd heard and seen and made he's screwy  
motions.  
He smiled a lot the next time he returned to the station  
as well, for much the same reason.  
"Don't tell me, it's a beautiful day to be alive," Elaine  
said.  
Ray pulled out his licence and waved it at her.  
"I passed my driving test yesterday. I can drive now."  
"That's wonderful news."  
"Well it would be, if my mother would let me drive."  
She  
laughed.  
"Tell her to let you drive the car to work."  
Ray did, and for the next week, he drove to work, with  
her accompanying him watching him drive, then driving the car  
home.  
She returned for him in the evening and let him drive  
home.  
He was chomping at the bit to be allowed to drive without  
a chaperon and had to fight to contain his glee when she set  
the  
car and house keys by his breakfast bowl and told him he  
could drive  
himself to work that morning. *Without* a  
chaperon.  
He got the house keys copied and tested them that night  
and found out the key worked on the lock of his room as well  
as  
the back and front doors. He crept back up to his room and  
hugged  
Dief.  
"We're home free now, Diefenbaker. I just need a few more  
days  
to set everything up.. and we're flying this coop."  
Dief licked  
his face and seemed pleased to hear it. Ray  
went on to go through the room collecting all the books he  
wanted to keep, along with the dozen or so note pads he  
covered with idea's for stories he had written down. He  
intended to be a writer when he set up his new life, it was  
the perfect career, he had learned enough at the station to  
write the sort of books he had in mind. And he intended to set  
his  
new life up in New York, where he was sure he had find a  
publisher  
in no time.  
All his things were tucked into suit case, and he crept  
through the house and out to put it in the trunk of the car.  
The  
next day, the contents of the suitcase were transferred to  
mail  
boxes and forward onto his New York post box. His last  
sly trip was to a vet to get sedatives for Dief. He didn't  
think he could get the wolf out of the house without him  
giving the game away any other way.  
The next time he managed to slip away, he returned home  
with foam padding taped around the trunk, and pillows lining  
it.  
The very next day, he made a big show of finding his pills  
and called  
his mother to the bathroom to watch him flush them.  
"That's  
the last time I take any pills."  
"But Raimondo, you need your medication."  
"No I don't, I'm better now."  
"You still have a long way to go."  
"I'll do it without the pills."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The next day at the station, he complained about a  
headache half the day, then started weaving about and pulled a  
very  
convincing faint, after which he was taken to the  
infirmary to "recover" before being driven home by Huey.  
The ever so polite, eager and helpful Ray vanished after  
that. He was surly, growled, and threw tantrums, he cleared  
his desk with a sweep of his arm and threw a tantrum, before  
stomping  
off, to weave around and "faint" again. His mother  
wailed  
about it being the result of his refusal to take his  
medication. She got more, he flushed it too.  
He had to repeat his performance at the station least  
half a dozen times before he was put through the tests he'd  
been waiting for. He failed tests that he should passed, was  
totally  
honest at the psych test, and lied during his  
physical. Two days later Welsh escorted him to his office, sat  
him  
down and regretfully informed him that the department had  
decided  
to give him a medical discharge.  
"It's no reflection on you, Raymond."  
"What?! What am I supposed to do?! I've done everything I  
was  
supposed to do! I've been studying, learning all the  
things I have to know! I.."  
Welsh raised his hands.  
"Calm down Raymond, you got your head injury in the line  
of  
duty, you're being retired, on medical grounds, with *full*  
benefits."  
Ray blinked away at him taking that in.  
"I know you've tried, but.. Unless you go through the  
academy again, and work your way back up through the ranks,  
you will never know enough to fulfil the duties you used to."  
"But.. I.. "  
"And you have trouble controlling your temper since you  
decided  
to live without your medication. You suffer from  
migraines, so serious you've fainted. The doctor thinks that  
unless  
you retire and reduce the amount of stress you're  
under, you'll have a stroke, and after your head injury, that  
could  
be lethal. We don't want to loose you that way. Take the  
discharge."  
"But I've got a mortgage."  
"What?"  
"On the house. How am I supposed to pay it off?"  
"I didn't know you had a mortgage."  
"You do now. How do you think I kept myself and my family  
in  
the style they like to be kept in?"  
"I can.. make arrangements for a lump sum payment, but,  
there  
won't be any more money after that. You'll have to make  
arrangements  
with an accountant, find a way to invest a  
portion, to get an income."  
Grumbling, Ray accepted it, and begged Welsh not to tell  
his family. He told Welsh that he was only allowed to leave  
the house to go to work, that if they knew he was without  
work, he'd become a prisoner around the clock. For that reason  
Welsh  
agreed to keep it quiet, and Ray didn't tell them  
either. It would spoil all his plans if his mother found out.  
As  
soon as the money came through, a chunk went into the  
bank account his mortgage and insurance payments were  
automatically deducted from, enough to meet the payments for  
two  
years. More than enough he thought. The rest went into his  
new identities  
bank account.  
He brought a box of jelly doughnuts on his way home and  
put them in the ice box. In the wee small hours of the morning  
he  
crept down to find one solitary doughnut left and thanked  
god. He  
cut it half open and quietly crushed up the pill the  
vet had given  
him it was mixed in with the jelly filling and  
then he cleaned up  
and returned to the bedroom to feed the  
wolf the treat.  
Dief actually sat there on the bed, just staring at him,  
instead of snatching it to gobble it down.  
"Now is not the time to decide to fight your junk food  
addiction, Diefenbaker," he hissed.  
He set it down on a bed side cabinet and snatched up a  
pad to write a note. Dief snatched up the doughnut and wolfed  
it  
down while Ray's back was turned, then returned to the  
position he'd been in.  
Ray ripped the page off, folded it and set it on his  
pillow then reached for the doughnut to find it gone and  
looked at the wolf and shook a finger at him. The wolf gave  
him one of his patented "Who me???" looks and Ray reached out  
to ruffle his fur.  
"I hope you enjoyed that, it's the last peice of junk  
food you'll be eating."  
Within fifteen minuets Dief was out cold and Ray wrapped  
him up in a blanket and crept through the house carrying the  
sedated  
animal. He had a moment of heart stopping fear as he  
heard a bedroom  
door open while he was on the stairs, and  
ducked. He listened, holding his breath, to feet moving down  
the  
hall, and another door opening, the bathroom door. When it  
closed,  
he made his way down the rest of the stair case as  
fast and quietly as possible and slipped through the house,  
out the back, and stayed there, ear to the wall.  
Soon enough he heard the plumbing kick in and that's  
when he carried the wolf to the car and settled it in the trunk  
on the pillows he had laid in the day before.  
"There you go, sleep tight," he said softly uncovering  
Dief's head.  
He double checked the foam he had taped to the trunk's  
lid and walls and it was all stuck fast. As quietly as  
possible he closed it, applying pressure till he heard the  
click of the lock, then he crept through the yard and back  
into the house. He made it to the stairs and heard the shower  
turn  
off and bolted down the hall, making it to his room to  
close and lock the door again, just in time. He leaned on the  
door,  
heart thudding and heard the bathroom door open and his  
mother moving  
down the corridor.  
He heard the key in the lock, then heard and felt her  
knock.  
"Time to rise and shine, Raimondo, Breakfast in fifteen  
minutes."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
His mother wondered where Dief was, he told her he'd  
already fed him and that he was sleeping on his bed, that  
satisfied her and she followed him out to the back. As per  
usual, when he walked to his car, the Mercedes, she asked him  
if  
he was sure he wanted to drive that one to work.  
"Why don't you drive the Riv?"  
"Why would I want to drive that heap of junk around?"  
His mother sighed, as she always did and looked up,  
making a silent prayer. Then she kissed his check and told him  
to  
drive carefully, and gave him the standard instructions.  
He'd felt a little guilty as he drove away, to see her, through  
the rear view mirror, standing on the street watching him  
drive away.  
He took the turn that he normally would, and once out of  
sight, pulled the car over and planned his escape route from  
the  
city. His first stop was the bank, to withdraw every cent  
from his  
secret account and close it. Then he headed for the  
bridge, where  
the wrecks were.  
He changed his clothes, and dressed the derelict's  
corpse in the ones he'd left the house in, then put his  
crucifix around its neck and his watch around its wrist. He  
even remembered to put his shoes and socks on the corpse, then  
a  
little squeamishly he pulled out the gun he'd brought and  
used it to put a bullet through the back of the corpses skull.  
That  
done he raced to the water, hurling the gun away to sink  
without  
a trace and threw up.  
It was at least fifteen minutes before he felt steady  
enough to go through with the rest of plan. He returned to the  
car  
to switch the plates on the Mercedes, both the engine  
plates and licence plates, putting the Mercedes plates on the  
burnt  
out wreck. He replaced them with the ones he had  
received in the post, and then he emptied his wallet of its  
money and credit cards and hurled it away.  
His next step was painful, but he felt necessary. He cut  
his hand open, deeply, and dripped blood all over the back of  
the  
corpses head and the seat making sure it got on the  
clothes, and splattered around.  
Next he covered the wreck in petrol, filled the tank, and  
then left a trail of petrol soaked rags along the ground. Then  
he  
pulled on a wig, and used a hand mirror he'd brought with  
it, to  
attach a fake moustache an goatee beard, and pop in  
contacts to change the colour of his eyes. The last thing he  
did  
was to set the chain of rags on fire before he drove off.  
He cleared  
the area and went over the bridge, tossing the  
gun over the bridge rail as he went. At the other end of the  
bridge  
he checked the cars clock, right on time there was fire  
ball that  
lit up the area.  
"Bye Bye Raymond Vecchio."  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Bye Bye, Lover," Victoria's mocking voice called out as her  
car speed away.  
Fraser rolled over to watch it go for a very brief time, 2  
seconds to be exact. He kept rolling around, for quite some time,  
cursing Victoria in every language he knew in his head. He had  
good  
reason to do it. She'd bound and gagged him with duct tape  
while  
he'd been out cold from the Mickey Finn she'd slipped  
him. Then she'd driven, possibly through the night, to this god  
forsaken waste land, and dumped him right beside an ants nest and  
passed the time till he awoke by dripping all sorts of tasty  
temptations  
over his body, to draw out the ants.  
Fraser came to his senses to the discover his predicament,  
and she'd been waiting to snap a polaroid of the, for her,  
sweet moment as he'd realised what she'd done.  
"That's the last time you'll ever make *that* mistake,"  
she'd taunted.  
Then she'd sauntered off waving the photo around to climb  
into her stolen vehicle and leave him there, to die, one way or  
another. If the ants did not devour him alive, the sun would  
broil  
him and dehydration would do the job for her.  
His only hope lay in being able to crush all the ants  
swarming over his body while rolling far enough from the nest to  
avoid acquiring a new swarm while he gathered his strength.  
It took half an hour and his body was bruised and bleeding  
from dozens of cuts he'd picked up rolling over sharp stones  
and  
half buried twigs. One lone ant was all that remained. He lay  
on  
the ground staring at it, cross eyed as it sat on his nose  
waggling  
its tiny antenna around. He watched it check out a  
grain on his nose, then carry it off. He felt it move over his  
face,  
then his ear and tipped his head. Then it was gone.  
He wiggled around feeling a sharp stone under his shoulder.  
Much wiggling and a jagged cut that ran from his shoulder to mid  
back later he was able to start sawing away at his bonds with it.  
3 hours later, he staggered onto a road and looked both  
ways. He heaved a sigh, it was going to be a loooooong walk to  
civilization.  
He looked down at his bare feet then up at the sky  
for a while. With  
a deep breath, he picked a direction at random  
and started walking  
down the road.  
As the sun set he stopped walking to sway looking down at  
band of dirt that ran along side the asphalt. There were distinct  
skid marks all over it. He looked back, then ahead and followed  
the marks, off the road, through unchecked foliage to a tree  
which  
the car that had made the marks was now wrapped around.  
He looked  
inside and felt his stomach lurch. The driver was  
dead, he was completely and utterly unrecognisable in a way far  
too horrible to describe. Fraser dropped to sit by the car and  
deep  
breathed till he could control the urge to throw up.  
With a deep fortifying breath Fraser steeled himself. Rising  
he proceeded to search the car and the remains.  
He was able to recover a back pack full of clothes, a hat  
just like his old Mountie hat, boots, a pair of sneakers and the  
only thing he really cared about at first, three bottles of  
mineral water, two cans of soft drift, and a bag full snacks.  
He  
drank a whole bottle of water, slowly, then devoured a  
bag of snacks. He wanted to do more, but he didn't know how long  
it would take to get to a town and set the rest aside. He  
searched the bag, pulling out a sweat suit and pulled it on. It  
was soft, loose and the only thing in the bag that would not  
irritate  
his blistered skin. He pulled on three pairs of socks  
then the sneakers.  
He packed the food into the back pack and searched the car  
one last time. He needed to find something to pry open the glove  
box and found that it was stuffed full of envelopes large and  
small.  
He was about to look at them, when he heard a car engine  
in the  
distance. He ran for the backpack and snatched it up. He  
stuffed  
the envelopes into it as he ran for the road.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray, or as he now called himself, George Fiorella, drove to  
a secluded place to get Dief out of the trunk and into the open  
air and waited for him to come around from the sedation. Once  
Dief  
was awake and recovered from the effects of the drug, Ray  
fed and  
watered him, before getting him into the car and driving  
off.  
He drove all night, though he had to stop often, to let Dief  
out to attend the call of nature and make sure he got plenty of  
water. Not to mention attend nature's call himself and buy lots  
of coffee. Half of which he thought should be called sludge  
instead. He gave up on the coffee at a truck stop, and asked a  
truck  
driver what he used to stay awake on the road.  
The driver offered him some pills. Ray decided to try a  
few others. Finally he found one who didn't use uppers to do it.  
He suggested a certain soft drink, which Ray found the stop  
stocked and brought half a dozen bottles of it. The soft drink  
worked  
fine, the only problem was, he had to stop more often to  
take a  
leak.  
During one stop Dief woke up and decided he wanted to sit in  
the passenger seat up front and Ray let him, and arranged the  
seat  
belt around him.  
"Going to keep me company are we?"  
Dief remained awake through the rest of the night, and  
Ray nattered away to the dog telling him about all his wonderful  
plans.  
"First stop Brooklyn, I've got to get my stuff from the post  
office and set up my apartment. Then I'm going to find a nice  
safe  
place I can set you loose in the wild, just the way Benton  
wanted  
me too. Don't worry, I'll pick a place where they have  
regulations  
against hunting so you'll be safe. Some national  
park, where you  
can creep up on unsuspecting campers and snitch  
their junk food."  
Dief didn't know what he was talking about, and he wasn't  
completely deaf, Ray's tone was sufficient, and he moved  
around, wagged his tail and licked Ray's face.  
"Hey, not while I'm driving."  
Dief settled down when Ray tossed him a sandwich he'd  
picked up at one of his stops.  
"Now Benton said I had to do it right, stay with you, to  
find  
out if you can fend for yourself in the wild, don't you  
worry, if  
you can't do it, I'll keep you.. But you'll have to put  
up with living  
in an apartment in Brooklyn for a while. That's  
where I'm going  
to be living at first. I'm going to get myself a  
good computer, and  
printer and every book I can find on writing,  
and enrol in one of  
those courses.. I know, I know, I've already  
started writing but  
that was just for something to do and to see  
if I could do it. I  
can, so that's what I'm going to do. I've got  
enough money to live  
on till I can establish myself. I've been  
reading a lot, I know  
what sells. Most of it, is soooo serious,  
but, those ones Frannie  
brought, you know the ones with the lurid  
covers, really thin, really  
old, those I liked. I'm going to  
write in that style. Take the mickey  
right out of those oh so  
serious writers. What do you think? Good  
Idea?"  
Dief gave a bark.  
"I thought so. Life is supposed to be fun, I'd rather read a  
book than makes me laugh any day. That's what I'm going to write,  
something that makes people laugh, I know that's not enough, it's  
got to make them want to keep reading, have a really strong  
plot.. That's why I was copying all those records. I've got  
records of a hundred and one real life crimes I can use as the  
basis  
for stories. And I took lots of notes at the station about  
how they  
do things, and the terminology they use and that sort of  
stuff. And  
I brought books, law books, scientific books,  
dictionaries and stuff.. It's all waiting at the post office.  
Just  
you wait I'm going to write a book that everyone will rave  
about.  
And sell the rights to a movie studio to make a movie  
about... And  
then I'll buy a biiiig property near a national  
park, where you  
can roam around and get all the fresh air you  
need and maybe meet  
a lady wolf and start a little family."  
*Woof*  
"Yeah, I thought you'd like that idea. And here's another  
one  
you'll like.. While I was being ever so helpful, I lifted the  
file  
on Benton.. And copied everything.. Once I get settled I'm  
going  
to pay some detective to investigate - find out about that  
Victoria  
woman.. It's soooo easy to fake your death, I bet she  
did it and  
set your Master up to get her revenge, probably killed  
him too..  
And I'll prove it, and clear his name. Just you wait.  
That witch  
won't get away with it, I'll make sure of that."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Dear lord," The doctor at the small community hospital said  
when Fraser was stripped and he got his first look at his  
injuries.  
Then Fraser was rolled onto his side so they could see his  
back.  
"That's going to need stitches. But first, prepare an  
antiseptic bath with a good measure of Lisoborin."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser came to his sense several hours later, lying on his  
stomach, blissfully free of pain. He looked at his arms, then  
touched  
his face.  
"Welcome back to the land of the living Ranger Pinset."  
Fraser looked around and a pretty nurse smiled at him.  
"I'm Meghan, my husband brought you in. How are you  
feeling?"  
"Much better.."  
"You'll have to stay for the next three days, minimum, those  
bites will drive you insane without a Lisoborin bath every four  
hours."  
"May I ask what my condition is?"  
"Stable," she said then smiled, "You've got thirty two  
stitches across your back, and fifty more scattered all over.  
That's quite an assortment of cuts and grazes you had. Did you  
dive  
out of a speeding car?"  
"Yes."  
"And those bites?"  
"I came around far too close to an ants nest for comfort."  
"Ouch."  
"That is an understatement."  
"Don't you worry, the Lisoborin will take care of that."  
"Would you please give your husband my thanks."  
"You can do it yourself in the morning, he's the Sheriff and  
he'll have a few questions for you."  
=*sigh*=  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray sold the car interstate and found a dog hotel. It  
cost a pretty penny, but it was worth every cent as he felt safe  
leaving Dief there while he travelled on by plane to New York,  
and  
then made his way to Brooklyn.  
A cab deposited him outside his apartment block, a graffiti  
covered, rat infested five story block, but it was solid and had  
good walls, and thank god, the land lord didn't care about pets  
so long as they were house trained and quiet. And the neighbours  
seemed to be decent people.  
He ventured out to find somewhere he could buy what he  
needed to clean up his apartment then spent the rest of the day  
and all night cleaning up the apartment.  
Over the next week, he explored the neighbourhood and got to  
know his local store staff and owners, found a few places to buy  
good quality second hand furniture and collected all his parcels.  
By weeks end the apartment was a home, with a big double bed,  
sofa,  
and all the usual accruements. Ray even found a desk  
that would fit nicely in the corner with a matching file cabinet  
and shelves.  
He filled the shelves immediately and had to buy a second  
set of shelves for the rest of the books he already had.  
He spent the next week upgrading the security on his  
apartment, with the landlords permission. The door was ripped  
out,  
the frame replaced with a steel one sunk into the walls with  
long  
bolts, the door was replaced with a steel one painted up to  
look  
like all the other doors. The interior door was covered with  
an assortment  
of locks, and an alarm.  
He had bars put in the windows and alarms rigged on all of  
them. Then he put in a safe in an interesting place and unpacked  
and took photos of everything and took out insurance. The photo  
and insurance papers were stored in the safe before he concealed  
it. Then he went looking for his land lord.  
He made the man a happy one by paying him six months rent in  
advance.  
"I wish I had more tenants like you."  
"I'm going to be away for a while, that's why I made sure  
the  
place was secure, could you keep an eye on it?"  
"Sure thing."  
Ray handed him the keys and told him about the alarm and  
returned, land lord in tow. The land lord approved of the way  
he'd  
cleaned up the place and the new security.  
"Yup, you're definitely my favourite kind of tenant. You  
know,  
if you want to negotiate a new *long term* lease, we can  
come a  
good deal."  
"What sort of deal?"  
"Ten year lease, same rent, no changes."  
"What's the catch?"  
"You can do whatever you like to improve the place, only  
*you*  
pay for any improvement you make, and you don't hit me with  
the bill."  
Ray could live with that to get the rent frozen for ten  
years. He gave the man a tentative agreement, telling him he'd  
seriously  
consider it while he was away and give him his  
answer when he returned, then showed the man how to turn off and  
reset the alarm if he needed too.  
"No Electrical stuff???"  
"Not yet, I've got a little more travelling to do before I  
settle down again, I'll be shopping for the electricals when I  
return."  
"We got rats around here, The damned creatures devour the  
bait  
I lay down and laugh, those books won't be safe if.."  
"I  
ripped up all the base boards and put down a strip of  
stainless  
steel coated in something rats hate before I put that  
back on. I  
put sheets of it down in the kitchen and the bathroom  
too and plugged  
up every gap I could find. That ought to keep em  
down while I'm gone.  
And I'll have my dog, who's a great mouser,  
when I get back."  
"Suit your self, but my advice is get yourself some metal  
chests  
and store your books and linen in them *before* you leave.  
Better  
to be safe than sorry."  
The next day, Ray took his advice, and went a step  
further. He returned to his apartment with half a dozen chests  
and  
packed his linen and books up, locking each chest and  
stacking them away in his built in closet. Then he covered the  
mattress  
completely in plastic and sprayed it liberally with a  
substance he  
was assured would make any rodent look elsewhere for  
something to  
nibble on. The couch and chairs got the treatment  
next, and he ventured  
out to by more of the spray returning to  
coat all the walls and floors  
of the apartment with it. He had  
just enough to spray out the kitchen  
cupboards and drawers when  
he was done.  
He was tossing the empty cans in the trash when there was a  
knock on the door. He opened it to find a representative of the  
security company he'd contacted. He lead the man through the  
apartment  
and within the next few hours another alarm system was  
installed,  
a silent back to base alarm. Two security cameras were  
also hidden  
in the room, and clever triggers that would make them  
start recording  
were set.  
"You won't regret doing business with us, Mr Fiorella, we  
have  
the best people in the state, not to mention the best  
equipment."  
"Well, if you can keep my apartment from being robbed while  
I'm out travelling, I'll be happy to continue using your service  
when I get back."  
"A word of advice, your mail.."  
"Is automatically redirected to a post office box, they hold  
my mail while I'm travelling."  
"Good, it doesn't hurt to keep your utilities on, and set up  
timer switches, to turn the lights off and on."  
"I didn't think of that."  
Money passed hands and timer switches were installed before  
Ray escorted him out and locked up, to spend the rest of the  
night  
in a hotel, the last thing he did before heading for the  
airport  
was to find how to register a dog, then registered Dief,  
under a  
new name and as a Mongrel half Husky, half GKW.# By lunch  
time, George  
Fiorella was on a plane out of state and planning  
the next stage  
of his new life. Following the plan the man who'd  
set up his identity  
had suggested.  
(#=God Know's What)  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser, or as he was now known Ranger Allen Pinset, stood on  
the porch of Ranger station W-4 and listened to the ranger who'd  
escorted him there with half an ear as he looked around.  
"He'll be back in around 3 days, it take quite a while to  
patrol  
the area properly. So you'll have plenty of time to make  
yourself  
familiar with the station, and read all that  
literature."  
Fraser looked to the Ranger.  
"What happened to the Ranger I'm replacing? They just asked  
for a volunteer to replace him without stating why."  
"Bear."  
"Fatal?"  
"No. Debilitating, yes, he'll probably end up behind a desk,  
away from the public."  
Fraser looked around again.  
"I think I'm going to like it here."  
"That's what we like to hear. Now, remember if you need  
anything  
Channel 3 is for Emergencies, Channel 5 for everything  
else. That's  
your call sign," the Ranger said, pointing to the  
plate by  
the door."  
"What about transport?"  
"You have a choice, Bike, Horse or ATV."  
"Horse."  
"Great, all the ATV's are spoken for anyway. Someone will be  
around by the end of the week with some horses to chose from, I  
think there are four that haven't been claimed yet, a word of  
advice,  
forget the Grey one, it's as stubborn as a mule. And the  
Mare that  
looks like a racer - can't be ridden but they'll  
suggest it anyway, just to get a laugh out of watching her throw  
you when you try it."  
Fraser smiled faintly.  
"Anything else?"  
"No.. I think you've covered everything."  
"Good. I've got a date with a pretty little camper over at  
E-3.. Oh, almost forget, if you happen to see a pure black  
stallion about seventeen hands high with something draped over  
its  
back, call it in on Channel 3."  
"I'll keep an eye out for it."  
"It's a ghost horse.. It always shows up just before a major  
firestorm."  
Fraser's eyes widened.  
"They say it's the ghost of the William's woman's stallion,  
it died during a firestorm about 5 and half years ago.. The ghost  
horse wasn't sighted until after that fire. And every time it  
does..."  
"There's a fire storm."  
"The exception to the rule being if you see it while you  
happen  
to be over at borderline creek between the Lucifer Tree  
and the  
stone cross.."  
"It appears there?"  
"We've had half a dozen tourists reporting sightings already  
this year.. The record is 20."  
"Why does it appear there?"  
"No body knows."  
"What's draped over its back?"  
"No one's ever gotten close enough to it to see," The Ranger  
said, turning to skip down the stairs.  
Fraser watched him hurry back to his ATV and ignored his  
father's spirit when he appeared. He watched the Ranger drive  
away,  
then looked at his father.  
"Go away."  
"Don't you want to know about the horse?"  
"What do you know about the horse?"  
"It's over there."  
Fraser looked around and saw a glossy jet black seventeen  
hands high stallion with something draped over it's back and his  
eyes widened.  
"Don't worry son, you don't have to call this sighting in."  
"He said..."  
"It's been waiting for you."  
Fraser looked at the horse again, it swished its tail and he  
slowly descended the porch and approached. It didn't back away  
and  
as he got closer he saw that steam rising off its back, or  
possibly  
smoke, then he saw the banket swathed figure draped over  
its back  
and neck. As he got closer he saw ropes tying it down on  
the horse's  
back.  
He stretched out a hand toward it and it vanished. Fraser  
jumped back, then spun and looked at his father.  
"Who was that? On its back?"  
"When you work that out, it'll stop appearing?"  
"Why was it waiting for me?"  
His father shrugged.  
"It just was."  
"Are you sure there won't be a fire storm?"  
"Yes."  
"Did.. Mum every have any relatives called Allen?"  
His  
father thought about it.  
"Yes.. I think she did. An Uncle. He died a long time ago.  
Why?"  
Fraser picked up his back pack and rustled around, then  
pulled out an envelope and from that he pulled out a sheath of  
aged  
papers. He rifled through it and pulled a page out to hold  
it before  
his father's face.  
His father's brows shot up.  
"His grandson."  
"He'd be almost the same age as you," Fraser Snr remarked.  
"He was.. orphaned.. And looking for relatives," Fraser  
told  
him as he stuffed the papers back into the envelope.  
"He was killed in a car accident the other day. I found the  
wreck.. it's off the road behind cover.. No one knows it's there  
yet. He was coming here.. To replace one of the Rangers."  
"Ah..  
I see.. You've taken his identity."  
"I had his papers.. They all think I'm him," Fraser said  
running a hand through his hair, "Thank's to Victoria making me  
go blonde."  
"Looks good on you."  
"He has relatives in this area.. On his mother's side."  
"You're worried about them."  
Fraser gave a nod.  
"He volunteered to replace the ranger who died to find his  
relatives here."  
"What do you know about them?"  
"That he had an Aunt who came here, married and had a son.  
His aunt is dead, but her son, his cousin is still alive, and  
lost  
his father very early in life, he apparently has started  
searching  
for relatives too... With the help of a private  
detective."  
"Aha.. You're worried he knows more about Allen Pinset than  
you do."  
Fraser nodded.  
"It would.. look strange if I didn't try to make contact  
with  
him.. He knows about the detective he hired.. to find  
relations."  
"I'd assume people he knew, knew about his search, why don't  
you use what you have, and find out more about him, and tell  
people  
the truth, you're a relation who wants to find out more  
about him."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray's first stop after he returned to the town where he'd  
left Dief was to get a motel room, then go shopping, he brought  
new sturdy clothes, boots, a good quilt and pillows, that he  
rolled  
up into a bedroll, and a back pack to pack his things in.  
He also  
brought a seeing eye dog's lead, cane and glasses. He  
left everything  
at the hotel, then took a trip to the train  
station, in disguise. There he brought tickets for a train trip  
across the state. He made sure he told the ticket seller that  
they  
were for his brother, who was a blind man with a seeing eye  
dog and  
the ticket seller promised to make sure his brother was  
taken care  
of once Ray greased his palm a little.  
Dief was overjoyed to see Ray again and to get out of the  
hotel. While he'd liked the food and the attention, he was  
itching to get out. Ray took him for a long walk on a leash,  
changed  
his collar and hurled the old one in a bin before taking  
him back  
to the hotel to collect his gear and head for the train  
station by  
foot.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
For the next six months, Ray and Dief travelled around  
the country by train. Visiting every state. Ray collected  
pamphlets and information on each states national parks and  
wildlife reserves, if they had one. The blind man's disguise was  
left in his hotel at each stop and he played tourist with Dief,  
getting  
lots of pictures taken by helpful people. Though two  
people were more interested in helping themselves, to his camera.  
Dief caught both and Ray recovered his camera and gave them both  
a severe lecture while Dief covered them growling and snarling.  
He brought post cards everywhere, humorous and otherwise and  
mailed them to himself from each state along with his photos when  
he could get them developed. He picked up things for his  
apartment along the way. Nick knacks, rugs, woven blankets, a  
painting  
or two, they were all mailed on, along with his growing  
collection  
of pamphlets, information sheets, and stories he'd  
written along  
with character bios he'd created, based on the  
people he met in  
his travels.  
He broke his trip, to spend a week at a motel on the edge of  
a national park. The pamphlets he'd picked up suggested it was  
the  
best one for his needs and he wanted to check out the area.  
He hired  
a car to explore, visited the park and the reserves  
either side of it. When he visited the nearest town, he arrived  
in time to attend an art festival. He fell in love with quite a  
few items on display, one was a gorgeous rug with a price he  
could  
not believe - he expected it to be priced considerably  
higher.  
It must have been obvious, because a rather tall and  
handsome man, in bright clothing stepped up close.  
"She has no idea how much city slickers would pay for  
work like that," the man said in a low voice and Ray jumped,  
spinning.  
The man smiled.  
"Dean Alexander, one of the local artists."  
"You don't sound like a local."  
"Neither do you."  
"I'm from Brooklyn."  
"You don't sound like someone from Brooklyn."  
"I travel, a lot. I lost my accent."  
"And picked up a new one."  
Ray gave a weak smile.  
"Nice .. Wolf."  
Ray's smile wobbled.  
"He's a Husky."  
"Trust me, that animal has wolf blood in him. Well trained  
too, except for one little thing. I noticed he snitches every bit  
of junk food someone sets down within sniffing distance. The  
moment  
they turn their back. He's there, and it's not."  
Ray gave a  
nervous little laugh.  
"It's a terrible habit I've been trying to break him of.  
It's  
not good for him, I won't feed it to him."  
"So he steals it."  
"When he thinks he can get away with it, yes."  
"So long as he doesn't steal anything from a child, I think  
the locals will ignore it."  
Ray was relieved.  
"They're used to animals stealing food around here."  
"I've  
been visiting the parks, it seems like a wonderful  
area for an animal  
lover to be."  
"I have my own reserve."  
"Really? Which one?"  
"Oh, it's not on any of the official tourist maps. I don't  
like tourists, they're distracting. Animals on the other hand can  
be inspirational, artistically speaking."  
"Sooo.. Which one of these exhibits is yours?"  
Dean pointed across the room. To the far wall, where Ray  
saw a table set under a painting, a huge painting of an eagle  
soaring  
over a landscape that was recognisably part of the  
national park. A part Ray had seen when he visited it.  
"Did you paint that?"  
Dean nodded, and Ray moved closer to get a better look,  
Dean followed him closely.  
"It's all mine."  
"The sculpture too?" Ray asked, looking at the statute of  
an eagle in flight on the table.  
The eagle was surrounded by small works in wood and stone,  
miniature animals, some no bigger than a match box, some as big  
as a person's head. The eagle was the largest. He glanced at Dean  
as he reached toward one of the small pieces, and Dean gave him a  
nod.  
Picking up the small stone Ray examined it and was  
impressed, very impressed. It was a very accurate of  
representation of the animal in question. As were all the works  
on the table. Some were painted, most were not.  
"This.. is.. brilliant."  
"You think so?"  
"Is it for sale?"  
"I don't sell my work."  
"Oh." Ray was disappointed, he loved it, and thought that  
painting on the wall was the perfect thing to hide the ugly  
stains that no amount of cleaning and scrubbing could remove from  
the feature wall of his apartment. Not because it was huge, but  
because he didn't think he would ever get sick of seeing that  
picture.  
"But I have been known to give pieces away.. Now and then."  
Ray looked at him.  
"In return for a favour," Dean continued in a tone that  
hinted he'd be willing to make a deal with Ray.  
"What sort of favour?"  
"Visit my property, bring your.. Husky, wander around to  
your  
hearts content, and that painting's yours."  
"That's a favour???"  
"I'll be following you around with a camera," Dean said, and  
turned, framing Dief snitching someone's snack with his fingers.  
"I want to capture that creature frolicking around on my  
land."  
Ray was tempted to tell him Dief didn't frolic but he  
wanted that painting and kept his silence. Dean turned back to  
him  
with a hopeful look.  
"So.. Do you want that painting enough to let me photograph  
your gorgeous creature on my land?"  
"I'd need a map, and it would depend on how far from the  
Motel  
it is."  
"Ah, forget the motel, I've got a big place, you can sleep  
over, if you like that rug, and that painting you'll love my  
place.  
By the way.. Buy the rug, trust me, you'll kick yourself  
if you  
don't."  
Then he wandered off. Ray spent the next hour trying to  
discretely find out about the man, but discrete is not what  
anyone he asked about Dean was, they were ready to start  
gossiping at the drop of a hat. He learned that Dean was  
considered an eccentric but brilliant artist, who owned a huge  
property  
with a huge house, with a private gallery and studio  
that every  
artist in town would give their eye teeth to visit.  
He brought the  
rug and the craftswoman who made it was a fountain  
of information.  
"Dean told you to buy it, didn't he, he's the best salesman  
around, I made some rugs for his house."  
"Have you seen it?"  
"He gave me the grand tour, it's magnificent, breathtaking,  
he built it, himself, not that he would admit it, he used to be  
an architect."  
"Really."  
"Yes, but he left the rat race behind to pursue his artistic  
urges."  
"Ah. Does he have a problem with people knowing he's an  
architect?"  
"Once someone who's seen his house finds out, they start  
badgering  
him about designing a house for them," She said, and  
grinned,  
"I traded all the rugs his little heart desired to  
design my  
place."  
"Oh.."  
"I definitely got the better half of the deal."  
"What did his wife think?"  
She laughed.  
"He's not married."  
"Oh, divorced."  
"No, single and fancy free."  
"I see."  
"But looking for company," she said with a sly smile.  
It went right over Ray's head and he went on his way to  
see what other works of art were on offer that would make his  
apartment  
a home he could happily enjoy for the next ten years.  
Dean wandered  
up to hand him a map and reiterate his offer,  
by which time Ray had decided to take him up on it, and said  
so.  
He made arrangements to follow Dean to his property later  
that evening.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
  
All Ray could say when he walked into Dean's house, which  
was built into the side of a large rock formation was ohmigod,  
over  
and over as Dean gave him the grand tour. Dief plopped down  
on a  
rug in front of the fire place and contentedly napped while  
Ray was  
shown around.  
When the tour was complete they returned to the lounge and  
Dean made Ray a cup of coffee and asked what he really thought  
making  
Ray laugh.  
"You already know what I think. I can't believe this place..  
It's.. Magnificent."  
"Why thank-you, I designed and built it."  
"So I heard."  
"Mehgan told you no doubt."  
Ray looked blankly at him.  
"The woman who made the rugs."  
"Oh, yes, she mentioned it."  
Dean dropped down on the couch near Ray and looked at  
Dief before the fire.  
"Well, he looks content."  
"He does, doesn't he.. He's going to hate returning to the  
city after I go back."  
"Why go back? You're obviously a man of.. independent means,  
an animal like that needs open spaces to roam, not rat infested,  
garbage strewn streets and filthy air."  
"I know.. One of my plans for the future is to find a place  
like this, and settle down there."  
Dean smiled.  
"A man after my own heart, so tell me what do you do when  
you're  
not travelling?"  
"I.. Write."  
"Journalist?"  
"No.. Just stories."  
"Oh, have you had any published?"  
"No.. Not yet. It's.. a hobby."  
"I see."  
"I meet such interesting people when I'm travelling," Ray  
said, and told Dean all about how he was collecting profiles of  
people he'd met to use as the basis for character creation in  
the  
future. And maps - for reference, along with tourist  
brochures, and recipe books.  
"Recipe books?"  
"If I'm lucky enough, a lot of women's associations publish  
recipe books that they compile of local recipes, so if I wanted  
to say, write a book set in Louisiana, I'd get my notes on people  
I met there, my maps, and recipe books to give it a more  
authentic ring."  
"Ah, I see.. Obviously, writing is more than a hobby for  
you..  
You put a lot of thought into it. Travelling around is just  
a way  
to gather research."  
"Well.. I plan to take some courses, learn all the ins and  
out of writing and publishing when I settle down. I'm hoping I  
can  
make a living out of it.. and maybe enough to achieve a few  
goals."  
"Such as buying a property like this?"  
"Exactly."  
"An excellent goal," Dean said, his fingers stretching out  
to brush the back of Ray's neck.  
Ray jumped, then jumped up to move to the rug by Dief and  
settled there stroking and ruffling Dief's fur. Dief's tail was  
soon beating a tattoo on the rug.  
"I suppose a place like this would cost a fortune," Ray  
said, without looking at Dean.  
He didn't see the look of disappointment on Dean's face.  
"Not the house," Ray said.  
Dean slid over to Ray's former place on the couch.  
"The land... If I was going to buy a property like it, it  
would  
cost a fortune."  
"You don't think my place cost a fortune to build?"  
"It  
depends."  
"On what?"  
"How much of the materials that went into it were salvaged  
from the land. I'm sure it cost considerably less than most  
people think."  
A faint smile touched Dean's lips.  
"Probably less than it would cost to build the average  
house. But then again, you were willing to barter your skills and  
work for others. You designed that incredible house in town. I  
guess  
that's Meghan's place."  
Dean nodded when Ray glanced around.  
"You think it's incredible?"  
"Puts every other house, no, building, in town to shame.  
With  
the exception of that clinic."  
"I designed that too. For my mother, it was hers."  
"What  
I don't understand though is why you did it. Mehgan's  
place that  
is."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I can understand being willing to do a trade, but that  
kind..  
It doesn't make sense.. Unless you *want* work as an  
architect in the area - in which case, that place is a just one  
big  
incredible example of your work."  
"Why does a mountain climber climb a mountain?"  
"Because he doesn't have an ounce of sense."  
Dean laughed.  
"But what your saying when you use that as a response is  
that  
you did it, to either see if you could, or just to prove  
that you  
could."  
"Exactly."  
"One or the other."  
"Perhaps, both."  
"You built this place."  
"To the people I worked with before I retired that would  
prove  
nothing. I was the head the of Interior Design department  
of my  
firm, beautiful interiors were my bread and butter."  
"So?"  
"I beg your pardon?"  
"This place is.. magnificent whatever way you look at it,  
inside  
and *out*. If you wanted proof that you could build a  
beautiful  
place from the ground up, you did it when you built  
this place.  
And it's utterly perfect, for the land. Instead of  
destroying a  
natural feature, you used it and picked the best  
place to do it."  
"You haven't seen the river yet. The old house used to be by  
it."  
"I've seen this property from the air. I took a joy flight  
over the park, and the pilot flew over all the reserves too,  
which  
your place is. This is the best place on the property to  
build on.  
A huge probably natural clearing. If there was a fire,  
it wouldn't  
burn this place to the ground, the roof's covered  
with what I bet  
is rock salvaged from the formation when you were  
excavating it.  
Probably an inch or two thick."  
"It is."  
"That would protect it from sparks and embers that would  
going  
flying during a fire storm.. You probably treated all the  
exposed  
wood with fire retardants.. and the size of the clearing  
would probably  
keep the heat from making the place burst into  
flames."  
"You're not a architect are you?"  
Ray chuckled.  
"No.. I just read a lot and use my brain... I remember a  
book  
I read.. Where a killer was caught out because he tried to  
cover  
up his tracks by starting a fire in a place he didn't know  
had been  
treated with fire retardants because the owner had lost  
a place to  
fire before. I saw the ruin's of a place down by the  
river.. All  
that's left is a few stone walls and a fire place.  
And I remember  
the pilot saying something about the worst fire in  
a century turning  
this whole area into an inferno."  
Dean gave a little nod, looking away out a window.  
"You learned a lesson from it.. I remember the pilot saying  
they wish the parks other neighbours had learned it too."  
"Some  
lessons are harder to learn than others."  
"That's some fire break you built around your property. He  
said it was the biggest privately built and maintained one in the  
county. I bet if a fire started in the park it wouldn't jump that  
break and torch this place.."  
"That's the general idea."  
"When I buy my place.. I'm going to make sure it's got a big  
fire break around it... just like this place."  
"That's not enough. To stop a fire taking out a place like  
this.. The property not the house I mean.. That firestorm would  
never have happened if the land had been managed properly. A few  
land holders lost their land because of that fire.. "  
"The fire hit your property too.. At least half of it."  
Dean looked at him.  
"There's a lot more old growth in the direction of the town,  
than there is toward the park.."  
"They realised the wind was pushing it out of the park, and  
they couldn't get enough fire teams in to stop it in the park..  
It was threatening to take out the county seat as well as quite a  
few scattered little town ships and communities off the beaten  
track.  
They used to talk about building a new highway from one  
end of the  
state to the other.. One that would cut through this  
area.. Until  
then the county said, thanks but no thanks.. Keep  
your highway..  
When that fire threatened to burn the whole  
county, they said we changed our minds.. Send us the equipment  
*now*  
and we'll build it.. The military, rangers, fire teams from  
three  
states and every able bodied person in this county and  
neighbouring  
ones worked to build the fire break that is now that  
long straight  
stretch of highway out there..."  
Ray remembered driving along it, at one point it seemed  
to stretch into infinity and had branches that lead to the town  
and cut straight through Dean's property and into the park.  
"You mean the section that looks like it goes on forever?"  
"That's it."  
"That's why it cuts through your property."  
"I can put up with it... It ends in the park.. It'll be  
another  
twenty years before they finish building it from the  
other side.  
That stretch was cleared fast in pure desperation. I  
have no idea  
how many people ended up working on it.. But the  
general population  
over the areas involved in the effort is  
something like 50 000, if you subtract the elderly and children,  
and take out the ones who were incapable of working on it..  
Probably half of them were out there working on it. There are a  
hundred plus rangers, who work in the park.. Then there were the  
fire teams, 400 in all.. And the military sent all the available  
people from bases close enough to ship people out here in time to  
help.. Then there were the construction people.. It wasn't just  
government crews out here, with the heavy duty prime movers.. I  
called every firm I knew that had equipment.. The military sent  
choppers that could airlift the small ones, the big heavy duty  
ones  
came out in convoy's.. Visit county hall some time, or the  
visitors  
centre in the park.. They've got pictures.. More than  
one news team  
was out there.."  
"How did they get it soo.. straight?"  
"A helicopter went over, marked out the break, and there  
were  
rangers out there on horses and bikes, driving flags into  
the ground  
every twenty meters or so to mark it out. There were  
six separate  
groups, one started in the park, another at the end  
of that stretch,  
with the other four scattered between them,  
working outward till  
they all met. Then they'd move on to the  
next section that needed  
workers and equipment.. And the copters  
would bomb the area either  
side of the break with water and fire  
retardants.. Which is why there's  
a lot of old growth on this  
side of the break. It worked.."  
Ray shifted about and then sprawled on his stomach.  
"What about the wildlife?"  
"A lot of animals died.. They couldn't even begin to  
calculate how many died. But the rangers did what they could,  
trapped  
and transported as many of the smaller animals as they  
could. And  
military sharpshooters were sent out to tranq every  
animal they  
could find. Or so I heard... The visitors centre has  
this film..  
One of the news crews shot.. Of some area that was  
just ringed with  
fire and you could see military copters flying  
over it, winching  
up all sorts of animals. And lots of cages with  
bundles of fur of  
all types you couldn't tell what was in them,  
they just went for  
everything that moved and loaded them in to  
get them out before  
the fire got them all. That's why we've got a  
ban on hunting in this  
area. Sure they saved quite a few  
animals.. But they lost more than they could save. If it weren't  
for kids like Robbie Bernstien there'd be a lot less birds around  
here."  
"What did he do?"  
"His father was a bird watcher, and so was he, his father  
was  
working the breaks, and Robbie went out with his maps, and a  
band  
of his little friends and rescued off every birds nest they  
could  
find in the area ahead of the break. Turns out they may  
have prevented  
one species from extinction.. They only exist  
here, and their nesting  
ground was on the wrong side of the  
break. But Robbie and his friends carried of over a dozen of  
their  
nests, and they were all sent to zoos with bird breeding  
programmes.  
And they shipped adult birds back to repopulate the  
area after the  
reforestation programme went into full swing."  
"I noticed  
that Chow Hound got a bit of attention from the  
rangers.. Even you  
noticed him.."  
"That's because wolves got hit hard.. I think their  
territory was completely burned out. They were only able to save  
five, a mother and her litter. And it's not a good idea to have  
litter mates breeding if you want to repopulate. They kept the  
females  
and found a zoo with some male pups to make a trade for.  
Found another  
adult male for Mama wolf. But he was shot by  
someone."  
"I thought there was a ban on."  
"That was before they realised they had to actively enforce  
the ban and the county made it a prosecutable offence. They've  
got  
information on that at the visitors centre."  
Ray remembered all the pamphlets he'd picked up and  
mailed back to Brooklyn and made a mental note to give the ones  
on the parks rules his close attention.  
"Has anyone ever written a book about what happened?"  
Dean was surprised.  
"I mean you said there was plenty of information, and media  
coverage."  
"You know I don't believe anyone ever covered it to that  
extent."  
"It would make a good book. I'm sure there are lots of  
people with stories to tell. Reader's Digest always has stories  
like that. I bet someone could put a book together of stories  
people  
have about it."  
"Well I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd be happy to  
tell their stories to an enterprising writer," Dean said rising.  
"Coffee?"  
"Oh no thank's I've had enough."  
"I usually hit the sack about this time, you're free to do  
what you want. Don't throw any more wood on the fire, there's  
enough  
there to keep the place warm for the rest of the night.  
I'll leave  
a few things out in the kitchen if you want to make  
yourself a drink  
or a snack. I'm up at the crack of dawn, I've  
got some work to do,  
if you want to roam around, try to wait  
until at least 10.. I should  
be finished by then and I can give  
you the grand tour."  
Ray gave a little nod and watched him depart then he  
looked at Dief and ruffled his fur.  
"I bet he has an interesting story of his own about that  
fire."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The next day Ray wandered through the property with Dief  
happily bounding around. Dean followed with a Camera a back pack  
and pair of army pants covered with bulging pockets. Ray  
discovered half of them were filled with film for the camera, the  
other half attachments, like different lens and filters. Dean  
would  
snap photos of anything and everything.  
He snapped off at least three full rolls of film of Dief  
exploring the place until Dief bounded out of sight to explore on  
his own. And though Ray was not aware of it Dean shot a roll's  
worth  
of pictures of him.  
They had a late lunch by the river in a secluded part of the  
property, thanks to the contents of Dean's pack. And Ray took  
a  
little nap and woke to the sound of splashing in the river. He  
looked  
around to discover Dean's clothes neatly piled up on a  
rock at the  
river bank along with a towel.  
The imp in him made him find Dean's camera and he studied it  
working out how to change the focus and take the picture. When he  
worked it out he crept off to the river bank finding Dean and  
snapped  
off half a roll's worth of film before Dean rose up from  
the water.  
His eyes widened when Dean turned giving him a full  
frontal view  
of him. Then a cloud moved on and the light through  
the trees hit  
Dean in a way that made all the water, both around  
Dean and the water  
that beaded and streamed down his body sparkle  
in the light.  
Ray snapped off a few more photos then slithered away and  
crept back to the blanket to set the camera back where he had  
found  
it and settled down to pretend he was still napping.  
When Dean returned he stood over Ray leaning forward and  
let his hair drip over him until Ray sat up looking at him.  
"Your hair's wet."  
"I took a dip in the river, this is the second best swimming  
place on the property."  
"Oh why only second best?"  
"There's a lot more swimmable river at the other spot."  
"Ah."  
Dean picked up his camera.  
"There are a few things I want to catch a picture of while  
I'm out this way," he said and wandered off.  
Ray waited a few minutes and wandered down to the river  
and found Dean had left his towel there, blowing in the wind  
pegged  
over a tree branch. The water looked inviting enough and  
it was  
a warm day and Dean had certainly looked like he'd been  
enjoying  
his dip, so Ray stripped down and found a place to  
enter the river.  
It was chilly at first but once he got used to it he enjoyed  
his dip and floated around looking up at the clouds floating  
past.  
He watched an eagle soaring through the sky until it  
vanished, then he decided he'd been in the water long enough  
and  
waded out.  
He found Dean sitting on the blanket reloading his camera  
when he returned.  
"Get any good pictures?"  
"Some.. I must have miscalculated how much film I had in the  
camera.. I ran out of film."  
"I saw an eagle up there."  
"I saw it.. I ran out of film before it came in range of my  
lens," Dean said, then went on to describe a certain kind of bird  
and ask Ray to tell him if he saw one.  
"You want a picture of it?"  
"Bernstien would love some. It's supposed to be extinct, but  
I'm sure I've seen a few around here. If I can get some pictures  
of some it'll prove there a still some nesting in this area and  
really make his day."  
"That's a pretty fancy camera, do you make your living doing  
photographic work now?"  
"No. I use it for much the same reason you travel around and  
collect information. Research for art."  
"Photography can be an art form, I remember a Gallery I  
visited,  
they had photos everywhere."  
"Mostly or all black and white, am I right?"  
Ray nodded.  
"I hate black and white photography, the world isn't black  
and white. It's a riot of colours."  
"That doesn't mean you couldn't be artistic  
photographically," Ray said thinking of the photo he'd taken  
of Dean water sparkling in the light as it ran over his body.  
"I've  
taken lots of pictures on my travels, though my  
camera's just a point and shoot thing. I'm getting a lot better  
with it. I used to chop peoples heads off and loose half the  
picture  
I was after."  
Dean looked at him, then patted the blanket beside him.  
Ray moved to sit beside him and Dean explained how to use all  
the  
features of his camera, all the attachments and lenses he  
had. Then  
he gave it to Ray and told him to snap away to his  
  
hearts content.  
"I've got my own dark room, we can develop them back at the  
studio and see how good or bad you are with a pro camera."  
Ray used up the rest of his film as they wandered back to  
the house by a round about route and with a little smile caught a  
few pictures of the bird Dean told him to keep an eye out for  
while  
Dean was off rummaging around collecting bits and pieces.  
He was  
smiling when Dean returned with some large stones and  
showed them to him.  
"This is perfecting for sculpting in see the colours," Dean  
said and spent the next half hour telling Ray about the ways  
an  
artist could use the things he scavenged.  
They stopped along a rocky area which had spectacular views  
for a rest and afternoon tea and Ray used up the last of the  
film  
taking pictures of the vista with Dean hanging over his  
shoulder  
pointing out things to shot pictures off, what to use  
the zoom,  
wide angle and panoramic features for.  
Ray announced he wasn't feeling well as he handed the  
Camera back to Dean to pack up and Dean touched his face.  
"You do look a bit flushed.. How do you feel?"  
Ray had never felt the way he felt before and had trouble  
describing it, but did the best he could. Dean stared at him then  
shifted about turning around to pack things up.  
"I don't think its anything serious."  
Ray looked down at himself and touched his face, he was  
definitely feeling hot as far as he was concerned he was sick.  
Dean  
helped him up and shook out the blanket, tying it up to his  
pack  
before he slung it in place and marched off. Ray followed  
and tried  
to keep up, but Dean set a fast pace and he soon lagged  
behind grumbling  
about it.  
Dean stopped ahead of him, looking back and told him to pick  
up the pace. With a little grumble Ray did until his foot  
found a tree root to hook on and he went down and cried out in  
pain.  
Dean came hurrying back as he rolled around on the ground  
grabbing  
his ankle.  
He ended up being carried the rest of the way, and was glad  
of it, the symptoms he had felt earlier came back with a  
vengeance and he was sure he had caught some bug and was just  
starting  
to feel the first symptoms.  
He was put to bed by Dean who had to cut off his jeans to  
get them off after his ankle swelled up. His ankle was wrapped in  
ice packs and towels and he was given a herbal drink Dean  
promised would dull the pain. It did more than that, Ray  
drifted off to sleep.  
He thought he had woken at sun set when he saw the red sky  
and the sun on the edge of the magnificent view from his bedroom  
window. Then Dean came in with a breakfast tray and announced  
he'd  
slept the night away.  
Ray devoured the food he had brought while Dean told him  
the doctor had been and gone. His ankle had been wrapped and  
declared  
a sprain. He handed Ray a letter from the doctor with  
advice to  
follow.  
"Oh no.. I've got to stay off it.."  
"That's normally the case with a sprain."  
"But this says it could be weeks before I can walk on it  
without  
pain."  
"I'm sure it screws up your travel plans but you should be  
able to make a few calls and get your tickets refunded or .."  
"I don't have any tickets for advance travel.."  
"Oh, well what are you worried about then?"  
"I can't drive... I don't have enough money to cover a hotel  
room for that long... That'd take me over my credit limit on my  
cards.."  
Dean told him he was welcome to stay until his ankle healed.  
"But I was sick.. I have to stay in town so I can see the  
doctor  
again."  
"It was nothing just a little too much fresh air and  
exertion. Don't worry, the doctor gave you an exam and took some  
blood. He'll ring - or come back if the tests show you need  
medication for some bug. But he thinks you're fine, apart from a  
sprained ankle. As for the car, who'd you hire it from?"  
Ray  
told him who and where he'd hired it at. Dean gave a  
little nod.  
"I know the company. If I get it into town they'll send  
someone  
from the company come round and collect it and all it  
will take  
will be a phone call to get them bring a new one round  
when you're  
ready to leave."  
"But how will you get back?"  
"Well if I leave within the hour.. I can get to town in time  
to catch one of the tour buses. The drivers know me, they can  
drop  
me off on the way through, and I'll hike back along the  
road, I  
do it all the time."  
"Oh."  
"Of course I'll be gone at least half the day. But that's no  
problem, lucky for you I have smooth floors all the way."  
And  
with that he helped Ray dress in a warm shirt and a  
very baggy pair of overalls, then carried him out to the lounge.  
There Dean set Ray down in a wheel chair that had been covered  
with  
a colourful thick and soft quilt. Ray ran his hand over  
the panel  
that Dean spread over his legs.  
"Did the doctor bring this?"  
"No, it was in storage. In that room I didn't show you,  
there's  
quite a bit of ever so useful junk in there. Now I've  
rolled up  
all the rugs and tossed them in there, so you'll have a  
clear run  
from the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, gallery and  
office. You'll find a pile of pads, pens and typing paper there,  
help yourself if you want to do some writing. I also developed  
those  
pictures you took and left them there for you to go  
through."  
Ray smiled at that.  
"They're quite good. You got the hang of using that camera  
very quickly. And there's a few double exposures in the  
collection from the times you forget to wind the film on. I  
developed them anyway.. I'll let you be the judge of those."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray whiled the day away in Dean's office, going first  
through the photos of which all the decent ones were A-5 size.  
The  
ones he'd messed up were the usual size his pictures came  
in. The  
double exposures had turned out some interesting pictures  
artistically  
speaking. One Ray liked a lot and set aside  
before going through the rest of the pile. He blushed deeply when  
he found the ones he had taken of Dean, then frowned. He went  
through  
all the photos twice. But could not find the last few he  
had taken.  
Had he run out of film and not been aware of it and  
where were the  
ones he had taken of that bird? They weren't there  
either.  
After going through the pile a third time he realised there  
were at least a dozen pictures he clearly remembered taking that  
were not included. Had he messed them up so badly Dean had not  
wasted  
material printing them? It was a question only Dean could  
answer  
so he set them aside and rolled off to the kitchen to make  
himself  
some coffee.  
He spent the rest of the day typing on Dean's typewriter  
between trips back and forth to the kitchen and bathroom. For the  
first time he appreciated what he had thought were artistic  
features of the bathroom. He discovered otherwise.  
The phone rang twice during the day, he'd been in the  
bathroom and unable to answer the first time, but it rang again  
half an hour later and he was able to reach it in time and  
answered, ready to take a message for Dean, to find it was Dean.  
"How are you going?"  
"Just fine, did you design that bathroom with an invalid in  
mind or something?"  
Dean gave a little chuckle.  
"I thought I'd let you discover it for yourself."  
"I did. I can even take a shower without getting my bandage  
wet in that shower."  
"Did you?"  
"Yes."  
"No trouble?"  
"None at all.. Thank you for setting up that little table on  
wheels in the kitchen. It's just the right height."  
"It's supposed to be.. Another piece of useful junk from the  
storage room. I just rang to say I've run into one of the Rangers  
here on his day out, he'll give me a lift and drop me off at the  
door but I won't be back until late this evening. Now if you  
think  
you need anything.."  
"There is something.."  
"What?"  
"Someone to find Chow Hound.. He hasn't been back."  
"Oh,  
yes he has. He wandered back last night, I fed him and  
he spent the  
night on the rug in front of the fire, then bounded  
out again this  
morning. Just keep your ears open for the sound of  
scratching on  
the door."  
"Oh, great."  
"Does he have any particular special diet?"  
Ray told him what to buy and promised to reimburse him  
when he got back. Then Dean prodded him a little asking about his  
favourite foods, they along with a few note books, a big box of  
milk duds and his favourite coffee were added to Dean's shopping  
list.  
"Now, since I won't be back till late, I've asked someone to  
come around and let the horse out so it can get some exercise and  
forage around. So don't be surprised when he shows up, he's one  
of the Ranger's rides a bike. You'll hear it coming. If anyone  
else  
shows up, don't open the door and just stay inside. Though I  
don't  
expect anyone to show up.. But you never know with the  
tourists  
or what kind they'll be."  
"I've got a gun and I know how to use it."  
"I'd prefer it if you didn't have to."  
"So would I. Should I expect this Ranger to come knocking?"  
"Yes. Offer him something to eat and drink, it's a long ride  
over. And if there's anything you need out of reach, get him to  
get it down for you."  
  
  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray was in bed and pretending to sleep when Dean  
returned, and was subdued for the next three days, which Dean  
didn't  
notice. Beside from helping Ray into and out of his  
chair each day, and sharing meals with him, Dean kept much to  
himself,  
busy with his own private projects.  
Then Dean noticed he hadn't even touched any of the new  
stationary equipment he'd brought for him. Dean had left it in  
the  
office for George, and none of the other equipment, outside  
what  
he'd noticed George had used the first day had been touched.  
After  
he'd noticed this, Dean announced the next morning that  
he'd be  
in the studio for the rest of the day and crept in the  
back way  
to spy on George. He watched George roll the chair to  
the bathroom  
where he spent 3 quarters of an hour, before he went  
back to his  
bedroom.  
Dean watched the door for some time and crept off to climb  
the rock. He peeked into the room below through the glass roof  
panels  
and saw George lying on the bed, facing the picture window  
curled  
up around a pillow and staring out at the view.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray was surprised when he rolled out at dinner time to  
find they had a visitor. The County Sheriff. Jerome William's.  
Ray  
was not all that surprised when Dean announced he had some  
work to  
do in his office and left them to chat. The Sheriff  
waited till he heard the office door close and got straight to  
the  
point, interrogating Ray about what happened the day Dean had  
gone  
to town.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Dean held up the former chunk of tree branch he'd whittled  
and studied it. A little sanding, some paint and it would be  
perfect.  
He heard a little knock on the door and hastily swept  
everything  
into a draw and blew away sawdust.  
He opened the door to find William's there and invited him  
in.  
"Did he talk to you?"  
"Eventually."  
"Unexpected visitor."  
William's shook his head.  
"Nothing happened worth laying charges over. I'd pick your  
friends a little more carefully in the future and I'm not talking  
about your guest. I'll be inviting Ryan round for dinner to have  
a little chat with him, give him a chance to take care of things  
without causing a stir."  
"I appreciate that."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray continued to mope for a day or two, then took over  
Dean's office again. Dean stopped working in his studio as he  
heard  
noises over the intercom and then the clacking of the type  
writers  
key. He shut the intercom down and resumed his work.  
Ray was distracted  
from his typing seeing Dean's head  
passing back and forth in the window over and over again, but he  
couldn't get close enough to the window to peer out. He wondered  
what Dean was up to that required so many trips back and forth.  
He laughed when after an attempt to stand using the  
furniture blocking the way he knocked something against the  
window which attracted Dean's attention. The next time he went  
past  
he held up a little sign on a stick "Artist at Work."  
Ray gave up trying to see what he was up to and went back to  
his typing and hit a writers block. He dropped the page he'd  
typed  
on the pile and collected it to roll off to his bedroom and  
slip  
it into an envelope one of the many that would be sent on  
its way  
when he was finished.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The same thing happened the next day, and the day after, and  
Ray's curiosity drove him to pester Dean about it at meal times.  
His response was always the same, "Just some work I've been  
meaning to do around the place."  
Ray found out what that work was around the afternoon of the  
next day. Dean walked into the office dressed in very dusty  
clothing a sweaty singlet plastered to his chest, hands behind  
his  
back. Ray's mouth went dry and he recognised his "sickness"  
for what it was. The Ranger who'd visited had taught him what  
his "symptom's" were.  
"I'm all done, are you busy?"  
Ray shook his head not trusting himself to speak.  
"I've got something for you. I noticed your birth date on  
your  
licence."  
Then Dean presented him with a wrapped box which Ray took  
and demolished the paper on. He laughed when he pulled out an  
intricate  
carved wooden cane, with a wolf's head for a hand grip.  
"Hold  
it under the head and just around the fourth carving  
and twist in  
two directions."  
Ray did and discovered it twisted apart.  
"It comes apart."  
"You can take it apart and store it in your bag."  
"Thank you."  
"Everyone should be remembered on their birthday."  
Ray  
gave a little smile and nodded and with Dean's help got  
to his feet and tested out his cane. He couldn't walk with it,  
but  
he could stay upright. Dean left him balancing with it and  
came back  
with a crutch padded at the top and hand grip with  
lambswool.  
Ray happily switched the cane to his other hand and using  
the crutch and cane was able to move around without the chair.  
Dean  
lead him to the door to the outside world, the back door,  
and opened  
it with a little "Viola". Ray looked out and  
laughed.  
"You paved all the pathways."  
"I've been meaning to do it, but something always distracts  
me."  
Ray noticed there was now a ramp up to the raised doorway of  
the studio and the house.  
"You put in a ramp, for the chair."  
"There were originally ramps there, in wood, but they were  
demolished and replaced with stairs. Something I regreted doing  
every  
time I had to shift something heavy in from the studio. I  
lost a  
statue trying to move it from the studio to the Gallery  
trying to  
get the trolley I was moving it on up those stairs  
once, and I've been meaning to rebuild the ramps since. But  
artistic endevours always win hands down over manual labour when  
it comes to what I'd rather be doing."  
Ray chuckled.  
"The fact you couldn't get out of the house to get some sun  
and fresh air unless I got on with the job was the motivation I  
needed  
to get on with the job. Now you can leave the house, and  
enjoy the  
fresh air, either with the cane and crutch or the  
chair. I suggest the chair, the crutch starts to hurt after a  
while  
if you use it for long periods."  
Ray gave a little nod and hobbled down the ramp after  
Dean. Dean showed him how he'd put in three paths, one to the  
studio,  
one to the stable and one to nowhere. Though there were  
little stakes  
with ropes driven into the ground.  
"I want to put a gazebo in here someday.. I thought I should  
lay the path while I was in the mood."  
Ray stood at the end of it admiring the view from that  
point.  
"I think it's an excellent place to put one. The view's  
spectacular.  
You can see over the park from here," then he waved  
at a point  
in the distance. "And there's the river."  
"No, that's  
a ravine in the park. The river used to flow  
along that way, but  
a rock slide changed the course of it more  
years ago than I can  
remember."  
"Oh."  
"On the wrong side of it, more's the pity.. On that side,  
the  
river marks the boundary.."  
"You lost land?"  
"No. Gained some."  
"What's the problem?"  
"I'd love to get some of the rock from that ravine for  
sculpting with, but it's on the park's land now."  
Ray laughed and noticed Dean watching him in a way that made  
his mouth go dry and his heart beat a little faster. He looked  
away  
over the view again. Dean left him there announcing he had  
some more  
work to do, and Ray didn't know wether to be  
disappointed or thankful.  
He hobbled over to the grass and carefully lowered himself  
down on it. The Ranger who had come to release the horse for Dean  
had told him in no uncertain terms that Dean was Gay and left  
Ray  
with no doubts that he meant that in the colloquial sense.  
He'd made  
a very heavy pass at Ray which had thankfully not  
ended the way it could have when the man had realised that Ray  
was  
an innocent at matters sexual.  
Thanks to his Amnesia, Ray was an innocent, he could not  
remember having a sex life, what it was like, and until the  
attempt on the Rangers part to bed him, he'd been without  
inhibitions.  
The Ranger had outright stated there was only one reason  
Dean ever invited people to his place, *men* were only invited as  
sexual company and the Ranger had hinted that Dean was seriously  
kinky but left Ray completely ignorant as to what kinky meant in  
Dean's case. Ray knew kinky meant a person had strange sexual  
tastes  
or behaviour and that didn't help.  
What made things worse was that until the Ranger's pass he  
wouldn't have really cared if Dean had made a pass at him and  
probably  
would have responded to it. Now he knew a little more  
about the  
activity it made him nervous. He remembered seeing  
Dean naked as  
the day he'd been born, and his extremely  
generous proportions. It kept popping into his head and he'd  
woken  
up with a raging erection one morning and knew that was  
nothing  
to how generous Dean's proportions could get.  
He gave a little shiver and banished those thoughts. Dean  
hadn't made so much as a single pass at him. Unless he counted  
the  
time his fingers had brushed his neck, but Dean hadn't done  
anything  
else beyond that. The anticipation and nerves about it  
were killing  
him, he just wished the man would do it and get it  
over with.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
That night after dinner at which Dean had presented him with  
one of his favourite meals and another gift, this time in a big  
box. The gift turned out to be a professional camera, just like  
Dean's,  
with a tripod, a bag, loaded with film and all the  
lenses Dean's had.  
The gift had perfect, Ray was more than pleased with it and  
that was he he decided to take matters into his own hands and get  
it over with. He used his cane and crutch to get himself over to  
the couch and sank down on it while Dean stoked the fire. And  
Dean  
was surprised to find him there.  
"Not going to bed?"  
"Not tired."  
He patted the couch after a moments hesitation Dean joined  
him there.  
"Why did you buy me that? It's so expensive."  
"I think you have a talent for it. You have a real eye for  
things. And I'm looking forward to helping you learn more about  
the art of photography."  
"I thought you didn't consider it an art."  
"Well it is when something with an eye like yours is behind  
the camera."  
They chatted about photography, Dean's plans to teach him  
process his own pictures, maybe even how to frame pictures so he  
could frame his favourites. Then the conversation drifted to  
inconsequential  
things and the anticipation was killing Ray.  
Finally Dean stretched  
and left his arms across the back of the  
couch and the next time  
his fingers brushed Ray's neck, he  
didn't jump. He waited, his pulse starting to race, for Dean to  
make the next move.  
There were little strokes and touches and when he didn't  
bolt, Dean took it as an invitation to go further, going in for  
the kill. Ray's heart started pounding wildly and he wondered if  
he was going to pass out from lack of air as Dean kissed him,  
first  
tentatively, then passionately.  
His stomach fluttered and his body came alive as Dean's  
hands roamed. He moaned and wondered if that sound had come from  
his own throat as Dean's mouth travelled to his throat. Then  
Dean's long fingers were slowly stripping his shirt away, so his  
mouth could travel down Ray's body. Ray was putty in his talented  
hands as his brain turned to complete mush and his body cried,  
YESSSS  
PLEASE.  
He almost whimpered when Dean stopped and slid his body up  
his to hover over him, his hot breath fanning his face.  
"Tell me something."  
"Anything."  
"Are you a virgin?"  
"Yesss."  
"Did he... touch you?"  
Ray gave a tiny nod.  
"Did he..."  
"He didn't rape me."  
"Thank-god."  
"Don't stop... Please.."  
Dean smiled and murmured thank god again against his skin.  
"That feels so good."  
Ray's hands finally found something to do, rising up to  
tangle in Dean's hair as the artist fanned the flames of desire  
he'd sparked for Ray.  
After some serious making out, Dean rose and looked down at  
Ray flushed, panting and very aroused. He leaned over him smiling  
and taking his hands.  
"This is your last chance to scuttle off, because, I want to  
make love to you - All night."  
"What a way to celebrate my birthday."  
Dean drew him up to his feet.  
"Are you sure?  
"Now - Yes."  
Dean gave him a radiant smile and lead him to the master  
bedroom and spent the next two hours worshipping Ray's body from  
head to foot. His voice rang out, crying with pleasure, until  
Dean  
utterly exhausted him and he fell into a deep sleep with a  
smile  
on his face.  
He was not aware of Dean snapping photographs of him as  
slept sprawled naked on that huge bed. He drifted in blissful  
innocence,  
and dreamed of another man, one with blue eyes.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Dean had little trouble convincing Ray to extend his stay at  
his property, he did it deviously, asking Ray to do it while he  
was  
busy worshipping Ray from head to toe. Ray would've agreed to  
just  
about anything at the time.  
Dean photographed him and Diefenbaker, both candidly and  
openly. He even seduced Ray into letting him openly take  
photographs of him naked and flushed with passion. And arranged  
for a Ranger who could be trusted to deliver a very large parcel.  
Ray opened it to find all the information he could wish for  
to get a start on the book he'd been thinking about and after the  
Ranger departed had given Dean a very passionate thank you.  
He lay in his lover's bed later that night enjoying his  
light caresses and wondering what he'd done to deserve such a  
lucky  
break. Dean asked what he was smiling about and Ray told  
him. Dean  
smiled and kissed him and one thing lead to another and  
almost lead  
to another thing till Ray realised Dean was as stiff  
and unwelcoming  
as he'd been to the Ranger.  
"I'm s..sorry."  
Dean gave him a kiss showing him it was o.k then rolled over  
to get something from his drawer, then he rolled and pounced on  
Ray getting playful. Ray's favourite part was when he'd slipped a  
sheath over his sex and smeared something over it driving him  
wild.  
He expected Dean to continue on and use his clever mouth  
and hands  
to take him to orgasm, instead Dean just got more  
affectionately playful and a little bit of bed wrestling and  
tickling went on.  
Then Ray got the upper hand, though he suspected Dean let  
him. Dean yielded and declared Ray the victor, and to the  
Victor go the spoils. Ray enjoyed some necking and kissing  
till he slid down Dean's body to lavish some attention to his  
chest.  
Dean wiggled and squirmed around making Ray moan  
against his chest at the stimulation he got from it. He rose to  
his knees and declared he wanted his spoils to please him.  
Dean smiled up at him, then slid up the bed until he could  
kneel before Ray. The sheath was stripped away making Ray why  
he'd  
bothered with it in the first place, then Dean pulled  
him into his arms to kiss him passionately and down they went  
onto  
the bed together.  
He was aware of only one of Dean's hand and heard the  
other one moving about then Dean started nibbling on his ear, and  
that hand started touching him just the way he liked to be  
touched.  
"You like that, don't you?"  
"Oh, yes... Don't.. stop," Ray panted.  
Dean's hand went further and Ray's eyes widened and his  
body stiffened as one of Deans finger's slid inside him. Dean  
nuzzled  
and kissed his neck murmuring that it was O.K. Over and  
over.  
"I would never do anything to hurt you.. Relax... I want to  
teach you something that will please you a lot."  
It took a lot of effort on Ray's part to relax, the Ranger  
had touched him like that and he hadn't liked it, but Dean's  
touch was more intimate, gentle and nothing like the Ranger's had  
been. When Ray relaxed Dean slowly introduced him to another form  
of pleasure making Ray's eyes widen in pleasure and his voice  
rise  
in ecstasy as Dean took him to the peak of pleasure in what  
was for  
Ray a new and extremely pleasurable way.  
"Did you like that?" Dean asked when the smiling Ray came  
back from down from his pleasure high.  
"You have to ask."  
"Well, yes."  
Ray pulled his head down and kissed him, then rubbed noses  
with him.  
"I more than liked it."  
"Would you do something special to please me now?"  
A little  
nervously Ray gave a nod and kissed him, rolling  
over to cover his body with own. Dean's eyes rolled and he gave a  
little moan, his hands clamping hard around Ray's arms as Ray  
rubbed  
started rubbing against his sex.  
He couldn't get a coherent word out as Ray moved over  
him but his grip kept Ray from doing what he was attempting,  
what  
he thought Dean wanted. It was also bruising him and  
Ray's hands moved to tickle him.  
"Stop it," Dean panted.  
"Let me go.. You're hurting me."  
"Not.. Until.. You stop."  
Ray stopped. Dean's hand slid up his arms and pulled him  
down kissing him deeply then rolled, till he was straddling Ray.  
The kissing continued until Ray thought he would pass out from  
lack  
of air. He was half aware that Dean's hand was searching for  
something  
between his long deep and passionate kisses, then he  
apparently  
found it. Dean rose to his knees over him, looking  
down at him.  
Ray drew his legs up, holding them and waited, eyes closing,  
anticipating his next move. Dean touched him, expertly and  
tenderly drawing another erection out of him, before he  
touched him the other way. The anticipation was heightening  
things for Ray then he got a surprise and a half and Dean sent  
him  
into screaming ecstasy, which was followed by a swift plunge  
into  
sleep.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Dean wasn't there when he woke, and Ray wandered out to  
shower before he wandered through the house to find Dean in the  
kitchen. He crept up behind him to hug and kiss his lover on the  
neck.  
"Morning love, I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,"  
Dean responded to it.  
"I would have preferred you in the bed," Ray almost purred.  
Dean turned in his arms to hug him back and kiss him, then  
nuzzled at his neck.  
"We won't share a bed again, unless you make me a promise."  
"Anything."  
"Never.. try to do or ask for what you did last night."  
Ray thought about it, thought it strange, considering how  
pleasurable it was but nodded.  
"Say it."  
"I promise."  
"Good... I never want to hurt you... And that could  
happen... I'm only human... and you, love, press every button  
I've  
got."  
Ray smiled and turned his head to nip Dean's ear.  
"You press all mine too."  
Dean's hands slid down his back, to caress his buns then  
pull him close. A deep kiss was followed by a husky declaration  
of love and another kiss and they ended up making love there in  
the kitchen. Ray loved it when the kinky Dean covered him in  
food,  
nibbling and licking him clean. He didn't need any  
encouragement to return the favour.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Dean kept his promise to teach Ray the art of developing and  
showed him how to use his dark room. After a few false starts Ray  
got the hang of it and he was soon moving onto his next lesson,  
enlarging  
photographs. His shining Dean was the first, he blew it  
up to letter  
size first, then at Dean's suggestion A3 size.  
He got his first lesson in framing from Dean when it was  
ready to be framed after a coat of a special protective spray.  
Dean  
showed him a collection of hand made frames, the right size  
to frame  
such a print and told Ray to chose one. Ray picked one.  
Dean shook  
his head.  
"Yes, it's nice, but is it *right* for your picture?"  
Ray thought about it, studied his picture and then studied  
the frames again, more carefully this time, looking for just the  
right one. The next time he pointed, Dean smiled and nodded.  
"Perfect."  
He pulled it out and found a backing panel, then lead Ray to  
a pile of sheets of framing boards, telling him to chose two. Ray  
learned fast and studied his picture before he chose two. The  
next  
step involved cutting them to size for the frame and  
picture. And then fitting glass and putting it all in the frame.  
It was sealed up and a hanging line added then presented to  
Ray with a flourish.  
"You're first piece of Art, Mr Fiorella."  
Ray looked down at it and smiled.  
"Who sez photographs have to be black and white to be arty,"  
Ray crowed very pleased with the final product.  
"What are you going to do with it?" Dean asked.  
Ray shrugged.  
It ended up on the wall of his room even though Ray didn't  
occupy it any more. It was soon joined by my more as Dean  
encouraged him to select pictures he liked for framing.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
In the days that followed as Ray became more and more  
mobile Dean taught him how to indulge in self pleasuring and to  
do it for him. Ray found it added to the pleasure to watch Dean  
getting  
so turned on watching him. And watching Dean do it to  
himself taught  
him a few things too. After that it wasn't long  
before Dean talked  
him into letting him take pictures while he  
did it.  
The passionate interlude came to an end after Dean talked  
him into skinny dipping in the river at the edge of his property.  
Dean stood on the bank, camera in hand snapping photos and  
directing George to do this and that, promising all sorts of  
naughty  
little treats. He verbally seduced and turned Ray on to  
get the pictures  
he wanted, and then convinced him to please  
himself, while he took  
pictures.  
Ray did so, closing his eyes imagining his dream lover  
while he did so, and after he came down from his pleasant self  
induced  
high and opened his eyes, he saw movement in the bushes.  
He almost  
jumped half out of his skin and Dean saw it through the  
lens, snapping  
another photograph at the time.  
"What's wrong?"  
Ray pointed.  
"There's something over there, in the bushes."  
Dean looked around and trained his camera on the bushes,  
zooming in. They both heard and saw the bushes rustling then  
Ray  
jumped up and dived into the water, swimming back to the  
place where  
his clothes lay. He dressed faster than he'd ever  
dressed in his  
life and grabbed Dean to drag him away.  
"Whatever that is, it's big."  
Dean let him drag him off into the denser forest of his  
property, then stopped him.  
"Wait.."  
Then he used the zoom on his camera to spy on the river  
bank.  
"That's no animal."  
"What?!" Ray squeaked.  
"It's a man... One of the Rangers from the park," Dean  
informed him, snapping off a few pictures. "And a new one at  
that... I think I'm in love. Come to Papa sweet thang. Ohhh yes,  
that's perfect, god, what I wouldn't give to see you naked my  
little  
beauty."  
Ray's romantic little dreams bit the dust.  
"Ooooh, yessss, there is a god, that's it my little American  
dream boat.. Take it all off."  
Ray slipped away, and hurried back to the house. By the  
time Dean returned, he and Dief were gone.  
  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray returned to his travels, pretending to be a blind man  
again, this time, he pre booked his journeys so he never  
stayed at any place for longer than a day. He stopped over  
just long enough to get pamphlets and the like and mail them  
on. He collected notes about towns, maps, recipe books and  
started collecting the books published by local historical  
societies. He took photos as always, but with the camera he'd  
started  
out with, not with the expensive profressional camera  
Dean had given  
him for a birthday gift. Every time he looked  
at it or saw one like it he was reminded of Dean and burned  
with shame and humilation at being so easily seduced by the  
shameless Lorathio.  
It wasn't as if he'd been ignorant of it either. The  
Ranger had told him Dean was always inviting men into his home  
for  
sexual interludes. Ray had deluded himself into thinking  
Dean meant it when he said he loved him and that when he asked  
him  
to stay meant share my life. He'd been a romantic fool and  
wouldn't  
make the same mistake twice.  
Dief often whined and was restless and Ray constantly  
apologised to the wolf and ending up breaking his golden rule.  
He  
tried to make up for the hard travelling and very short  
breaks by feeding the wolf as much junk food as his little  
heart desired.  
Dief learned very fast how to get Ray to go to the buffet  
car to buy a snack and milked it for all it was worth. The  
staff of each train Ray travelled on were forewarned and word  
travelled  
through the train grape vine about the blind man  
"seeing" the country via the train network, with the gorgeous,  
friendly husky as his seeing eye dog.  
Dief got plenty of attention, and Ray got photographs,  
more than one attendant asked if he minded if they took a  
picture, of and with them. The hardest thing for Ray to do was  
resist  
the urge to buy a book and read it to the pass the  
time. But Dief attracted talkative company and that helped him  
pass  
the time.  
As he drew near the end of his travels, heading back for  
Brooklyn he blew his blind man cover on the last half of the  
journey. It happened when a gang of not so bright sparks  
decided to rob the passengers in his carriage, and thought the  
blind  
man with a dog was an easy target.  
He never went anywhere without his gun, and palmed it.  
When one of the gang threatened him, Dief leapt for his arm,  
and Ray let him go for it. He rose and as the man's fellow  
gang members started spinning at his screams, Ray started  
firing. Ray's target practice and Huey's efforts to turn him  
into a near marksman paid off. Passengers through out the  
carriage went to the floor. Screams filled the air, and not  
all of them came from frightened passengers.  
The gang members went down, three with bullets in their  
shoulders, one with a bullet in his leg and arm, and the last  
was  
put down by Dief.  
Ray moved fast to make sure they all lost their weapons,  
and then called for help, belts, ties and scarves were passed  
along.  
The miscreants were bound and make shift pressure  
bandages were applied.  
There was no point pretending to be blind after that, and  
Ray poked the one who'd threatened him with a foot.  
"What do you know, I only said I was blind to be able to  
travel  
with my dog, sucker."  
His fellow passengers laughed at that easing the tension  
in the carriage.  
They were all forced to leave the train at the next stop,  
where the police interrogated everyone and took the would be  
train robbers into custody. Ray gave his statement, and put  
his new identity as George Fiorella to the test, had his hand  
shaken,  
and his back slapped by more than one person, photos  
taken, by fellow travellers, one of whom he didn't know was a  
journalist.  
Dief also enjoyed some attention and gorged  
himself on all the treats he received from grateful  
passengers.  
The railway were so grateful, that Ray got first class  
passage and treatment for the rest of his trip and no one said  
a  
word about his "dog." Well, other than, "What a beautiful  
dog, what sort is it?" "A Chow Hound."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray climbed out of his taxi, Dief on his heels, and  
inhaled the not so fresh air of Brooklyn.  
"Ah... Home at last," he said, trying not to cough, after  
all the fresh air he'd enjoyed, the city air was *quite*  
pungent.  
The cabbie pulled his back pack out of trunk and handed  
it over, and Ray paid him off. The man hovered.  
"Are you George Fiorella?"  
"Yeeesss.."  
Out came an autograph book.  
"Would you sign this?"  
It was something Ray got used to over the next week as he  
discovered the journalist on the train had sold the story of  
the attempted robbery and its dramatic ending to several  
papers including a national one. He also discovered, the  
journalist had snapped off photos *during* the event. He'd  
left a nobody and returned a hero to the world at large and  
everyone loves a hero.  
All his neighbours introduced themselves, bringing food,  
inviting him over for little informal parties, poker parties  
and the like. He attended one, to find it anything but little,  
and  
begged off the rest.  
The security company sent their rep around, with a T.V,  
Video and a pile of tapes to show Ray. Ray watched the tapes,  
seeing  
his land lord regularly enter his apartment and wander  
around. He  
often wondered out of camera range, and Ray heard  
windows and doors open, and later close. Twice the alarm went  
off,  
and his land lord deactivated and reset it. Another tape  
showed the  
security company's men arriving to check things  
out.  
He also saw his landlord carry off every chest containing  
his things. That was what the security rep wanted him to see.  
Ray  
smiled and waved at his apartment.  
"Do you see all those books?"  
"Yes???"  
"They were in one of those trunks, along with my linen  
and clothes. He returned all the trunks when I got back."  
"Oh."  
"He put them in a storage locker, for safe keeping."  
"Oh,  
well, that's not on any of the tapes."  
"Neither is a shot of whoever tried to break in."  
"No one got past your security measures, those bars are a  
deterrent,  
they'll try some place easier nine times out of  
ten, and the ones who think they can get past those were  
scared off by your alarms."  
Then he smiled faintly.  
"Though I doubt you'll have to worry about security now,  
the  
whole city knows about the way you took on that gang on  
the train. No thief in his right mind would risk breaking into  
your  
place, there's too high a chance of being shot if you  
happen to be in. And then there's your Chow Hound to take into  
account  
too."  
"I guess I won't be needing your services after this."  
"Why, Mr Fiorella, you'll be needing them more than ever,  
thieves  
are the least of your concerns. I'm sure once the  
media find out you're home they'll descend in a hoard to get  
your story out of you."  
"Oh..."  
"And then there are the autograph hunters, who'll sniff  
out your address and come to pester you to sign their  
clippings. All you have to do is to continue using our  
service, hit the alarm and our men will come and send them on  
their  
way."  
"Can I hire you on a month by month basis?"  
"Certainly."  
Ray signed up for another month of service and the rep  
left taking his equipment with him, but leaving the tapes  
behind. Ray tucked them into his book case and threw himself  
on his bed, and looked down at Dief on the floor.  
"Well Chow Hound, let's hope he's wrong about the Media.  
Autograph  
hunters I can handle. More media attention of the  
close up camera and Television kind I don't want."  
Dief gave a little bark of agreement.  
"What do you say we go to the post office and get all my  
mail  
tomorrow?"  
Dief agreed. Ray patted the bed and Dief jumped up. Ray  
rose and wandered into the shower while Dief made himself  
comfortable on the bed. Ray was ready to head for bed when  
there was a knock on the door. With a little grumble he pulled  
on  
a robe, found his gun and went to answer it, peeping  
through the peep hole before opening the door to let his land  
lord  
in.  
The land lord gave a weak smile when he saw Ray's gun,  
then held up a contract.  
"My lawyer finished drawing this up yesterday. It's the  
new lease I discussed with you before you left to do your  
cross country tour."  
"Oh."  
"You said you'd give me an answer when you returned."  
"Yes,  
well, I was seriously considering it.. Before I got  
back and found  
out some reporter had splashed my face all over  
the newspapers."  
"Ooooh," The landlord said, he knew what was coming.  
"I  
really need to see what the effect will be.. I don't  
want to get locked into a ten year lease and then find out I  
have to move because I'm being pestered."  
The landlord ripped it up with a sigh.  
"I'm really sorry about that."  
"Can't be helped.  
"If I move, I'll be leaving the things I installed  
behind, if that that's any consolation."  
"I suppose I could hike up the rent with security like  
yours."  
"People are always willing to pay a little extra for  
security," Ray agreed. "Oh, by the way, I may be going for  
another trip soon, I'll let you know before I take off."  
"Where  
are you going next?"  
"Oh, I don't know yet. I'll only be gone for a few weeks  
max.  
Drop by tomorrow night, and I'll pay you up to the end of  
the lease  
period."  
The land lord left happy.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray was in for a surprise when he went to the post  
office, apart from the mail he sent himself, there were also  
three huge packages and 3 slightly smaller but still large  
ones he couldn't place. There was too much for him to take  
home in a cab and he had to find a courier to deliver it all.  
Dief  
curled up on the lounge watching Ray open his  
parcels and wagged his tail when Ray laughed at finding his  
rug.  
"I forget all about this... Where do you think I should  
put it? The wall or the floor?"  
Dief looked at the floor.  
"Floor it is."  
He rolled it out and moved furniture around. The next  
parcel was a huge surprise. A portrait of himself, that was  
anything but standard. He was standing in Dean's main room,  
window at his back showing the view as he held a plate up in  
the air and laughed while Dief sat at his feet looking up  
hopefully. The goatee beard and mustache that had started as  
fakes, and he'd cultivated the growth of were there, and so  
was the hair people expected George Fiorella to have. That  
surprised Ray, it was a wig and he hadn't worn it around  
Dean's place after Dean had taken him to his bed. The portrait  
was  
of a very real event, he remembered Dean taking the  
picture, and he clearly remembered he hadn't been wearing the  
wig.  
But there he was with it in the painting.  
Then as he studied it more closely he realised it wasn't  
the wig. That was straight, dead black and always kept in a  
pony tail. The hair in the painting had shades of brown,  
auburn and waves. Ray realised Dean had used creative licence  
when  
painting it and liked the end result. He turned the  
portrait around for Dief to see.  
"Look at this Dief."  
Dief jumped off the lounge to give it a closer  
inspection. Then watched Ray hang it on the wall.  
"I bet Dean asked Meghan where I asked her to send the  
rug."  
Dief gave a little whine at the mention of Dean. Ray  
looked around.  
"I know what sort of deafness you suffer, it's called  
selective deafness."  
Dief went down and his paws went to his ears. Ray  
laughed. He swooped down to ruffle the wolf's fur on his way  
past. Dief climbed to his feet and helped him open the next  
parcel by scratching at the paper that Ray tore away. Ray's  
face lit up when he saw the painting of the eagle he'd admired  
so  
much.  
"He remembered."  
The painting was hung exactly where had pictured hanging  
it and he spent a few minutes admiring it. Then he went onto a  
largish  
crate to find the statue of the Eagle that had been on  
display before  
the painting. Ray made a mental note to get a  
pedestal made up for it and emptied the crate out, turning it  
upside  
down below the painting and set the statue on it. Dief  
looked at  
it, and let out a sigh and curled up on the rug. Ray  
looked around.  
"Don't worry Diefenbaker, I'm going to keep my promise,  
once I find all those pamphlets again, I'll find the best  
place to let you loose in the wild, and you can enjoy the wide  
open  
spaces again."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray found the smaller parcels were his framed pictures  
and they were hung around the apartment. His artistic full  
nude of Dean went up in the lounge because Ray did not want it  
in  
his bedroom giving him ideas.  
As he checked the mail he found more than pamphlets, post  
cards, and personal mail. He found one mail sack contained  
"fan mail" letter after letter of people congratulating him  
for showing those punks a thing or two. There were also  
letters from magazines and papers requesting interviews, one  
was from a magazine who wanted to do an article on him, and  
mentioned they'd heard he was a writer and were interested in  
seeing  
some work and possibly create a column - Travels with  
George. He set that one aside. It could be his first step  
toward reaching his goal to become a profressional writer.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
He spent the next month finding out everything he could  
about the countries national parks, private reserves and  
wildlife reserves. It was with a sigh he realised the park  
Dean's property bordered really was the best place. The  
closest town was full of animal lovers. Hunting was banned in  
the  
entire county and it extended into the national park.  
Hunters who broke the ban were hit with stiff fines and banned  
for  
life, Hunters who shot what in the park were endangered  
species were hit with terms in the county jail, along with  
fines and a life time ban which kept most out.  
It had other features which eventually sold Ray on the  
idea. He didn't look forward to seeing Dean again but Dief's  
future health and happiness was more important than avoiding  
the man. He doubted he could avoid Dean for long if he  
returned there. Dean wrote to him constantly. Long lavacious  
love letters. They practically steamed up the paper. Ray would  
get  
hot and bothered just reading them and had to keep  
fighting the impulse to write back.  
Letter after letter asked him to come back, to share  
Dean's home and life. Dean had obviously forgotten or never  
realised Ray had heard the way he reacted to the sight of the  
luscious  
Ranger who'd spied on them at the river. Just the  
thought of that was enough to cool Ray's ardour every time, it  
worked  
better than a cold shower.  
The very idea of roaming around that park and running  
into Rangers made him break into a cold sweat. He had no idea  
which  
Ranger it was, wether it was one who shared Dean's  
tastes and come on way too hot and heavy, or the kind Dean had  
warned  
him about who would beat up anyone with tastes like  
that if they thought they could get away with it.  
He'd been completely innocent about that part of life,  
but Dean had educated him, warning him about the dangers of  
being Gay in the city which was one of the reasons Dean had  
left city life behind. He'd admitted that it still happened  
out in the country, but it was usually a tourist behind it.  
Though there was one Ranger who Dean didn't trust one little  
bit, a real Redneck. In his opinion, it was a damned shame he  
was  
such a brilliant Ranger, because he'd use his connections  
to get  
the man fired and sent on his way if he hadn't been.  
Then Ray recalled that Dean had said that it was the  
*new* Ranger, that meant it wasn't the Redneck, Dean knew the  
Redneck  
very well, he'd never seen the Ranger he'd spotted at  
the river before.  
So the man was an unknown.  
Dief made Ray stop dithering. He started throwing up. Ray  
rushed him to a vet, and Dief's stomach was pumped after the  
vet took a sniff of his breath.  
"He's been poisoned," The vet announced after Ray waited  
in the waiting room for several anxious hours.  
"What?!"  
"But not deliberately. He ate a rat that ate some rat  
poison, lucky for him, it was the sort that makes dogs start  
throwing up as soon as their system start to digest it. I'll  
have to keep him in for a while and keep an eye on him. Cross  
your  
fingers, he didn't digest enough of it to kill him."  
Ray did,  
and for the first time in a long time, found a  
church and did some praying.  
His prayers were answered in more ways than one. The next  
day, the vet rang to tell him Dief was improving and had  
definitely been brought in soon enough to act. Which made Ray  
thank  
God. He received yet another letter from Dean which made  
him do it  
again, Dean hadn't forgotten the incident at the  
river.  
He mentioned it, apologised for it, told Ray it was  
purely a physical thing, the man was the archetypical American  
dream  
boat, blonde, blue eyed and built. He was also straight,  
and horribly  
shy, Dean knew because he'd made it his business  
to find out everything  
he could about the Ranger. He promised  
Ray the Ranger wouldn't be  
any trouble, or tell anyone what  
he'd seen. And last but by no means least, Dean mentioned that  
the  
man was his long lost cousin.  
Ray took it as another sign from God and started packing  
his back pack with the camping equipment he'd brought when  
he'd first started hatching his scheme. He didn't intend to  
stay with Dean, he intended to follow Benton's instructions on  
the  
way to reintroduce Dief to the wild to the letter. That  
meant camping out in the wild. Not living it up in Dean's  
breath taking home.  
The next "Sign" came in another envelope, from the  
magazine he'd responded to. He'd brought a few issues studied  
their  
content and style, and written up three mock column's  
describing part of his travels including some photos and post  
cards.  
They responded with a nice cheque and a contract for  
him to sign.  
He was almost bounding with joy when he read it. But his  
happiness at achieving one of his goals was short lived when  
he realised there was no one to share his wonderful news with.  
Later  
in the evening he took a cab to the vets, sat by  
Dief's cage and read the letter from the editor to the wolf,  
who's ears pricked up. His tail gave a little wag, and Ray  
reached through the bars to pet him.  
"They still want to do an article, I said yes, but they'd  
have  
to wait until you were better. They want pictures of both  
of us,  
to put in the article. How about one of us sitting on  
the couch under that portrait Dean painted, what do you  
think?"  
Dief gave another little wag of his tail.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray ran into the land lord on the stairs, and told the  
curious man the reason he hadn't seen him walking Chow Hound  
lately was because he'd eaten a baited rat and was recovering  
at  
a veterinary clinic. The land lord had continued on his way  
in a  
very sombre state.  
A week later, Ray opened his door to the land lord and  
Dief trotted in surprising him. The land lord held out a piece  
of  
paper from the vet and Ray took it and got another  
surprise.  
"Someone paid his vet bill."  
"I did."  
"What?!"  
"I should have realised he might eat the rats he caught  
and stopped putting bait down. I accept full responsibility. I  
called  
every vet in the book till I found out where he was,  
and got them to let me know when he was ready to come home,  
collected him and paid the bill."  
"You didn't have to. It never crossed my mind."  
"I might be a cheap skinflint, but I'm an honest one,"  
The landlord said before he departed.  
Ray tossed the bill to the table by the door, closed and  
locked it then hunted down Dief, who'd made himself right at  
home on his bed. The wolf enjoyed all the attention Ray gave  
him after that.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The Vecchio house hold was in an uproar, which was  
normal, but this was not the normal uproar, Frannie bounded  
through the house shrieking and waving a magazine around, till  
her  
mother, sister and brother in law joined her.  
"It's Ray! He's alive! He's in this magazine!"  
"Show me," her mother demanded snatching it, to be shown  
the three page article on George Fiorella and Chow Hound,  
Brooklyn's latest Hero, and the Magazines new columnist.  
Mrs Vecchio devoured the article and looked at the  
pictures, then patted Frannie's cheek sadly.  
"I know, he looks like our Raimondo, but that man is not  
your  
brother.."  
"But Ma, look at his dog, that's Diefenbaker."  
"Read the article, Frannie, it's just a coincidence. That  
man  
is from Brooklyn, and a writer, you know your brother, he  
would get  
grouchy about having to right up reports, can you  
imagine him being a writer?"  
Frannie had to admit it was difficult to imagine. Her  
sister and brother-in-law looked the magazine over and agreed  
with  
her that the man looked just like Ray, and his dog like  
Dief. Then Frannie carried it off to her room to read the  
article and hunt for the first column to read that too.  
After giggling her way through it, she had to agree with  
her mother. It was just a co-incidence. George Fiorella had a  
sense  
of humour. Ray had lost his after "The Incident".  
She flipped  
back to the article and looked at the full  
page picture of George at home, studying it. O.K, so he looked  
enough  
like Ray to be his twin, if Ray had hair like that. And  
the Dog looked  
like Diefenbaker, but that's where it ended.  
The article contained pictures of his apartment and  
souvenirs of his travels. One wall was covered in cork board  
covered in photos and post cards. She couldn't image Ray doing  
that.  
Then there was the decor, the apartment was obviously  
freshly painted, to match the colours of the incredible hand  
crafted rug on his lounge room floor. The furniture was not  
the sort of thing Ray liked, the couch looked incredibly  
comfortable, the chairs the sort of thing a writer would curl  
up  
and dream up new stories on.  
The nick knacks that covered his shelves, along with all  
the books weren't the sort of things her brother would collect  
either.  
Though she wasn't sure about the books. He *had*  
started amassing quite a collection before he'd disappeared.  
And half of it had disappeared with him and Dief.  
She looked at the photo of George on the train, facing  
down one of the gang member's gun in hand, the clothes he  
wore. Ray wouldn't be caught dead in clothes like that. And  
after "The Incident" he'd complained about having to deal with  
a gun, muttering about the recoil, and there was that time  
he'd gotten lost and been beaten up by a gang of toughs. The  
old Ray would have fought back and given as good as he got,  
the new Ray was a wimp and she seriously doubted he could  
shoot like this Hero of the moment could.  
And then there was the picture of his work area, there  
above the desk was a framed arty photograph of a naked man,  
or she assumed he was naked. There was a tiny censored patch  
across the relevant portions of the sparkling Adonis's body.  
Ray would never own a picture like that, unless it happened to  
be  
an arty naked woman and he wouldn't hang it on his wall, it  
would  
be hidden in his wardrobe.  
She reviewed the article and pictures again, and found  
what she was looking for and gave a little snort.  
"What else would he drive *but* an All Terrain Vehicle."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray hung the last framed copy of his article and column  
and then stepped back to admire them, while Dief watched.  
"Ah, don't worry, Dief, I won't be framing any more, I  
only framed that because it's special. My first feature  
article and column. I'm now a legitimate writer. I bet I won't  
have  
any trouble finding an agent after this."  
*Woof*  
"And I can write *anywhere*."  
Dief cocked his head and Ray squatted down before him.  
"Dean wants me to come back and stay with him, live  
there. I've been thinking about it. If you can adapt to living  
in  
the wild again, I'll be all alone.. Maybe... I should take  
up his  
offer. I love that place of his, but who wouldn't. And  
I would be  
close to you... You could visit any time you  
wanted. And I wouldn't need bars, alarms and a security  
company on call to feel safe and secure like I do here."  
*Woof*  
"I think I'll drop in and see him after I've set you up  
in your new home at the park.. You like that place, it's got  
everything you need, lots of fresh air, open spaces, fresh  
water, and no dangerous food. Like that rat you ate. Once you  
get  
used to living in the open again, you'll wonder how you  
ever endured living in the big city."  
*Woof*  
"So it's agreed. We'll head out that way, tomorrow. I  
hope you don't mind taking another long trip. This time we're  
going  
by ATV. That nice career criminal that helped me set up  
my new identity  
found me a nice second hand one. I had a  
mechanic look it over, and he says it's in great shape. All I  
need  
to do is get some tires cause the ones it had were  
rotten. Once I take care of that we'll get supplies and we can  
be  
on our way."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser stepped out of the Ranger station that was also  
his home and stretched taking in a deep breath of the fresh  
air, and then froze as a familiar sound reached his ears.  
He looked around and almost had a heart attack when Dief  
came bounding out of the forest with blood and filth all over  
his  
fur.  
"Diefenbaker!" he squeaked.  
  
Without thinking he went into a crouch and the wolf came  
straight for him, gave him a quick sniff and a lick, then  
started running back and forth. Fraser caught his snout the  
next time he raced back.  
"Is Ray here? Is that his blood on your fur?"  
Dief barked, pulled free and raced off again. Fraser spun  
on his heel and returned to the station to grab and load his  
rifle, rousing his partner. Word around the park was that some  
fool  
had broken the no hunting rule and shot a bear, without  
killing it. The weren't sure if it was the same bear that had  
savaged  
the Ranger he'd replaced, it may have survived, and  
gone into hibernation. Since spring thaw three people had been  
attacked  
by the infuriated creature, and each victim's  
injuries were worse than the last.  
Fraser didn't want to think about Ray being one of those  
victims or what his injuries would be. But he had to think  
about it to be prepared for it. While his partner dressed  
hurriedly, Fraser slung his rifle over his shoulder and packed  
a  
first aid kit, then raced out, to circle the building to the  
stable  
out back.  
By the time his partner stepped onto the porch he had his  
horse saddled and was moving around the building. His partner  
saw  
Dief moving around and around, waiting impatiently and  
gaped.  
"It's someone pet, a well trained one."  
"It looks like a wolf."  
"It's got a collar and dog tag, I'd say it's a husky. And  
it's  
covered in blood."  
"That damned bear."  
"I'm going to follow it."  
"Leave a trail, and I'll be right on your tail."  
Fraser nodded, and sent the horse after Dief. It was  
nervous about it at first, but soon settled down. After  
several hours hard riding following the fast moving wolf,  
Fraser finally brought the horse to a halt near a ravine. Dief  
was  
on the edge of it, and looking down. As he climbed off the  
horse,  
the wolf suddenly raised his head and howled.  
It was with dread Fraser tied the horse's reigns off to a  
branch and approached the edge of the ravine. As he neared  
Dief he saw blood on the ground, and lots of it. His trained  
eye picked up other clues, bear tracks, hiking boot imprints,  
a stride  
that suggested the wearer of the boots had been  
running, till he reached the ravine. There he'd been trapped,  
a bear  
right on his heels, a jump that even with his horse  
Fraser couldn't make, let alone a man alone, even if he was  
highly motivated.  
As he neared the edge Fraser went to his knees scanning  
the ground, he could see more bear prints, and a new set of  
foot prints. Looking over the edge, he found another surprise.  
The  
bear was there, or its carcass was. It was a long way  
down, and the bear had fallen on it's back. It now lay  
sprawled below.  
Fraser used his binoculars to get a better look and  
noticed the bear's throat had been torn open. Dief nudged him  
and  
Fraser turned to hug and pet him.  
"Good boy."  
Dief whined and looked around at the biggest patch of  
blood on the ground. Fraser backed up then rose and went to  
investigate it. Yes, the other set of boot prints were all  
around it so were unusual tracks he was very familiar with.  
When Dief joined him and nudged him again, Fraser cupped  
his snout and petted him.  
"Ray was here and that bear came after him.. You tried to  
defend  
him, and killed the bear didn't you?"  
Dief barked.  
"And went looking for help because Ray was hurt."  
Dief barked again.  
"While you were gone someone else found him, Dief, see  
the tracks.." He pointed and Dief looked at the tracks, then  
at Fraser, "Those are Dean Alexander's tracks. He often  
rescues people in distress and has good first aid skills, he  
*will* take good care of Ray."  
The sound of a motor bike intruded and Dief yipped.  
"That's my partner," Fraser said in a tone that made Dief  
look around.  
"He's a red neck in a uniform. Buuut.. I have to put up  
with him. And so will you... He's a good man if you ignore  
his.. unsavoury habits and traits."  
The bike came into view and Fraser's partner joined him  
shortly after. Fraser pointed out the blood and tracks.  
"Williams."  
"He must have been out on one of his patrols and seen  
what happened."  
"Obviously the pooch didn't see him."  
"I'm sure if it had, it would stayed with its master."  
"I still say it looks like a wolf."  
"The bear's in the ravine."  
His partner went to the edge and looked down.  
"Now that's a loyal dog, taking on a grizzly to protect  
its master."  
"It probably has injuries.. We should take it to the vet  
station  
to be examined and cleaned up."  
His partner nodded and pulled out his radio set to call  
in a report. Fraser bowed his head as if examining the site to  
hide  
a faint smile as he heard the ranger on the other end  
announce they'd just had word, Alexander had called for a  
chopper to come to his helipad and airlift the victim of a  
bear attack he'd rescued in their vicinity.  
It was confirmation of his suspicions and he borrowed the  
radio to report Dief's existence and his plans to take him to  
the  
vet for an examination. He also stated his intentions to  
look after the animal until his master recovered, which would  
cover  
his request to be kept notified of the victims status.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser was quite surprised to discover the victim of the  
bear attack was a man called George Fiorella, from Brooklyn,  
not Raymond Vecchio of Chicago. He was absolutely certain the  
wolf  
was Dief, even if the registration tag wasn't Dief's. He  
called the  
number on that, and got the information on its  
registered owner and the "dog".  
"So what did you find out about the pooch?" his partner,  
Petersham asked.  
"He's apparently infamous, his master is George Fiorella  
from  
Brooklyn, a man who travelled around America on train's  
pretending to be blind so his dog could come along in the  
carriage, not in a cage. He single handedly stopped a gang of  
thugs  
from robbing the passengers of his carriage at the end  
of his journey, with a little assistance for his dog, who he  
calls the Chow Hound."  
"Good name for the beast," his partner growled, thinking  
of the way Dief had managed to filch his food several times  
already.  
"Fiorella is apparently a writer for a magazine, his  
first column appeared in it last week, the person I spoke to  
suggested I get a copy of it to find out more about them."  
"You  
know if the media finds out that this so called Hero  
got mauled in  
our park by a bear they'll have a field day."  
"No one in  
the area knows who he is. I don't think  
they'll find out."  
"If he's a columnist for some magazine, they're going to  
start  
wondering where he is soon enough, then it'll come out.  
And don't  
forget that damned reporter.."  
"Mz Eckles?"  
"Yeah, the damned woman has a cousin at the hospital who  
always  
tips her off. If she does her research you can bet  
that'll be start of a media blitz."  
"There have been three attacks, the only mention she made  
of  
it in the paper was to warn people some Redneck wounded a  
bear that attacked anyone who's path it crossed and to stay  
out of the park till we dealt with it. That hardly sounds like  
the  
Media having a field day to me."  
"Mark my words, once that woman finds out it attacked a  
"Hero" and super pooch, she'll milk it for all it's worth."  
Fraser sincerely hoped he was wrong.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Via discrete means Fraser hired a private detective and  
discovered Ray - and Dief - had vanished from Chicago. His  
family were said to be extremely distressed and Fraser didn't  
blame  
him when he found out that Ray had been medically  
discharged from the force shortly before he vanished. The  
detective also found out he'd mortgaged his house to the hilt,  
and  
left the force with a very big lump sum payment, only a  
fraction of which was left in his bank account, which hadn't  
been touched since, except for automatic deductions arranged  
before he vanished.  
There was no money trail the detective could find, but he  
did find an interesting pattern of withdrawals from Ray's old  
bank  
accounts which had been inactive since his disappearance.  
Fraser  
began to suspect the truth, paid off the detective and  
hired another,  
this one from New York.  
The detective on that end discovered many interesting  
things about George Fiorella, but not what Fraser expected. He  
paid  
him off and pondered the situation. George Fiorella was  
apparently a Brooklyn native, with a checkable background,  
school records, and a history as a bit of a drifter. Who  
tended to travel around, working here and there, at odd jobs  
most of them the cash in hand sort that didn't leave many  
records.  
And yes, he did have a husky called the Chow Hound and  
was infamous for his trip across America with the dog which  
had ended in a blaze of publicity and put him on a new career  
path  
as a columnist. And the man had been in Brooklyn, for a  
month after his long journey, before heading off again, he'd  
informed his land lord he'd be gone for a few weeks and  
intended to do a bit of camping.  
The only heartening news for Fraser was that there was no  
need to worry about the Magazine finding out their new  
columnist had been attacked when they went looking for him.  
He'd apparently already written enough advanced copy for the  
magazine to run his column for 3 months. They knew he intended  
to  
go bush for a while and wouldn't get concerned if he didn't  
show  
up or get in touch for some time.  
That meant that as long as Mz Eckles didn't live up to  
his partners expectations, there'd be no media attention to  
worry about.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"There you go, love, comfy?" Dean asked after he settled  
Ray on the couch before the fire and wrapped a quilt around  
him.  
Ray gave a little wiggle and settled back, giving the  
tiniest of nods. He freed his left hand and gave Dean the  
thumbs up. Dean took his hand and kissed it, then wandered  
away heading for the kitchen.  
"I'll get dinner started. Tonight it's Chicken soup."  
Ray  
made a little squeak of disgust. He was heartily sick  
of chicken soup. In fact he was sick of soup period, once he'd  
come  
off the I.V it was all he ever got at the hospital, that  
and soft  
mushy deserts, like custard and ice cream. Everything  
he ate was  
either liquid, or soft mushy and didn't need  
chewing.  
"I know, I know, you're probably sick of it, but you  
haven't tried my chicken soup yet. Besides, the Doctor said  
you couldn't go onto solid food yet. You have to stay on the  
diet he gave me, until he examines you again and changes it."  
Ray gave a little noise of ill grace.  
"Don't be such a baby, you should be feeling grateful,  
you could have been killed. You came damn close to dying from  
the  
shock and blood loss alone. I know you're still in a lot  
of pain, but don't you worry I know a few herbal recipes for  
pain relief. And as soon as the doctor thinks your ready for  
it, I'll sell a few paintings and hire a physiotherapist to  
help you through your rehab."  
Ray wished he could move his head without it sending pain  
lancing through his head and body. He wished he could talk,  
to ask Dean to repeat that. He wasn't sure he heard it right.  
Did  
the man who said he *never* sold his work just say he'd  
*sell* some of his paintings?  
"And when you're fit enough we'll go back to the big bad  
city,  
and find a plastic surgeon who can do something about  
those scars. Oh, don't worry about the expense, love, I've  
got hundreds of paintings.. I'll sell as many as it takes to  
cover them."  
Ray felt his heart skip. Nothing Dean said could convince  
him more than that statement of the truth of his words when he  
declared  
his love for him. He knew Dean never sold his work.  
Sometimes he traded it, sometimes he gave it away, but  
everything he traded or gave away was either something he did  
just  
for the recipient, or something he felt was perfect for  
the recipient. He *never* sold work.  
When Dean returned, Ray made a come here gesture and  
cupped his face, letting him know he appreciated it. Dean  
smiled and kissed his hand.  
"Not so grumpy now?"  
Ray gave a tiny shake of his head.  
"Good. If there's one thing I can't stand it's a grump,"  
Dean declared then leant over Ray to put a kiss on his  
forehead. "And I was delighted to find out you are a man with  
a very nice sense of humour."  
Ray raised a brow.  
"Your column.. I do read that magazine."  
Ray's cheeks turned pink, then he suddenly blanched.  
"What's wrong my love?"  
It took a frustrating half hour of making signs before  
Dean thought of picking Ray up and carrying Ray into the  
office and settle him down in the chair there. He pulled the  
type writer within easy reach after setting up some paper in  
it. Ray started typing as soon as it was in reach.  
~"What's the date?"~  
Dean told him and Ray made a squeak.  
~"Shit."~  
"What?"  
~"I gave them enough advance copy to last three months. I  
told  
them and my land lord I'd be back before then. They're  
going to start wondering where I am any day now,"~ Ray  
laboriously typed out.  
"Not to worry."  
~"I don't want reporters descending on me when they find  
out  
what happened.~  
"They won't find out. I'll get a nurse in to look after  
you. The Rangers found your ATV, I'll get it and go to  
Brooklyn, get all your things and buy you a lap top, so you  
can you can write up new articles and send them off and they  
won't ask questions."  
Ray hit the caps lock and covered half the sheet with  
XXXX's and OOOOO's. Dean chuckled and kissed his head.  
"And you thought I was just a pretty face."  
~"The rest of you's not bad either."~  
Ray got another peck on the head for that.  
~"Chow Hound?"~  
"Is fine, one of the Ranger's has been taking good care  
of him. When you're up to it, I'll make arrangements to get  
him delivered here."  
Ray covered the rest of the sheet of paper with XXXX's  
and OOOOO's.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray's recovery was slow, his diet wasn't the most  
nourishing one in the world and he was dependant on Dean to  
for every little thing. He couldn't walk around or move about  
without  
crippling pain, he couldn't sleep without one of  
Dean's Herbal remedies to relax him and take away the pain, he  
couldn't  
even go to the bathroom, with out help from Dean.  
They tried the wheel chair, but Ray couldn't get up and  
down and it went around in circles a lot, bumping into things  
while  
he tried to steer and move around with one hand. He got  
so frustrated  
he just sat in it and sulked and Dean moved him  
from room to room  
in it.  
Once he found a nurse he trusted and who could handle all  
of Ray's needs, Dean kept his promise, going to Brooklyn to  
get Ray's things, *Everything*. He'd returned with a  
removalist truck, and stored most of Ray's things in a room in  
his  
studio. Ray's books were transferred to Dean's library, a  
room which  
had been near to bare of books, until then. It was  
also a room Ray  
didn't remember seeing the first time he'd  
stayed at the house.  
Dean presented him with a laptop, with a lot of fanfare,  
and a tiny little synth keyboard. They developed a code, using  
the  
keyboard, different sounds meant different things, their  
pitch told Dean if he wanted it urgently, if it could wait, or  
if  
it was just a thought.  
A month after Dean's return from Brooklyn, he took Ray  
outside for the first time, blindfolded. Ray felt himself go  
from the warm environment of the house, to the chill of the  
outside world, to another warm environment, before he was set  
down  
on a familiar comfortable chair. The blind fold came off  
and Ray  
squeaked with delight. His new environment was an  
almost perfect copy of his apartment's main room.  
"I thought you might feel more.. at home and creative  
here. I've been working on it ever since I got back. You know  
me  
and my camera. I took lots of pictures so I could copy your  
look."  
Ray took his hand, squeezed it and got a smile.  
"You like?"  
Ray gave a tiny nod.  
"Should I move all your books here?"  
Ray gave a little shake of his head, then made a so-so  
gesture. Dean scuttled off and returned with his lap top.  
~Just the things I need for my research.~  
"You'll have to type up a list.~  
~I'm curious~  
"You once said it's your middle name, so I'm not  
surprised."  
~I don't remember seeing a library the first time I had a  
tour of your house~  
"There wasn't one. I built it for you. Writers are  
usually book worms, with lots of books. So I built a room to  
hold all your books."  
~How arrogant - You assumed I'd come back after what you  
did.~  
"It was wishful thinking... I was going to send you  
pictures when I finished. I put the finishing touches to it  
while you were hospitalized."  
~You don't give up easily do you?"~  
Dean settled himself on the arm of Ray's chair.  
"I told you once that one of the reasons I left the rat  
race behind was because of how some people make it their  
business to harass, intimidate and assault people with our  
tastes."  
~I remember.~  
"There was another reason.. I spent a year in the city,  
in a hospital.."  
Ray's eyes widened.  
"I had cancer. My Doctor's went after it aggressively and  
all  
I did was get weaker and weaker. I was a frail shadow of  
myself with a year to live in their opinion when Mother  
brought me here, this was her land, she thought the fresh air  
would  
do me good, not to mention a big change in my life  
style. She was a herbalist a damn good one. She developed an  
alternative treatment for me. She helped me get my health  
back, and as soon as I was fit enough, I left, returned to the  
big  
city. She nagged me for a year after I went back. She  
didn't give up till I left it behind to return here for good.  
So..  
If I'm a stubborn man, who doesn't give up, you can blame  
it on her,  
I take after her. She taught me more than how to  
whip a few herbal remedies, she taught me to never give up."  
~She's dead?~  
"Yes. She died 10 years ago. I've lived here alone since  
then,  
till you came along. You were the first person I asked  
to stay for more than a night."  
~Don't tell me it was love at first sight, I won't  
believe a word of it~  
"I didn't intend to fall in love you with you I was after  
a  
little company, a one night stand. Finding out you were a  
virgin and at your age made me look at you in a whole new  
light," Dean said reaching out to stroke Ray's ear with a  
light  
touch.  
"And I worked it out the day you sprained your ankle,  
which is why I didn't make a move on you.. Until I was  
reasonably sure you wanted me too."  
~The anticipation was killing me.~  
Dean smile faintly.  
"I almost didn't accept the invitation you were giving  
me."  
~Oh why?~  
"I've never bedded a virgin before. But I do remember my  
first  
experience... It wasn't very... pleasant."  
Ray remembered the mauling he got from the Ranger and  
knew the difference between making love and sex. All the  
Ranger had been after was sex.  
~It was beautiful.~  
Dean dropped a kiss on his head, then stroked the soft  
Fuzz growing back. Ray's head had been shaved at the hospital.  
"I'm  
not the only man you were attracted to am I?"  
Ray wasn't sure if he should answer that question.  
"Sometimes you would murmur someone elses name in your  
sleep. Dream about being with someone else... Someone called  
Benton."  
~He's dead. He was murdered.~  
Dean stroked his head again.  
~There was a man ... the only one before you that I even  
considered the possibility of sharing my life with... He's the  
one  
who taught me the difference between sex and making  
love... A very special man. He encouraged me to explore my  
creative side, outside of work. My mother used to say it's  
about time and he's the one you should settle down with. He  
was murdered too."  
~Did they catch his killer?~  
"Killers.. and yes.. 3 months later. They attacked us  
because we were gay and .. almost killed me too.. And  
sometimes I used to wish I'd died too. Particularly during the  
time  
it took me to recover. So I do know how you feel love."  
~That  
wheel chair used to be yours.~  
"Yes. And I know how frustrating it is trying to steer  
and move in it with one hand. I hear they have better ones now  
that  
you can do it in.. I'm looking into getting one, but I  
won't get it unless the doctor say's you'll never walk again."  
~I can't even move my leg without wanting to pass out.~  
"I know."  
"Did he say I could walk again?"  
"He said that as things stand, no, but with further  
surgery you may get your mobility back. He's looking for  
another Doctor, a surgeon good enough to give you that  
chance.. But it won't come easy."  
~Nothing ever does.~  
"You could have to spend months in hospital and it won't  
be  
just one operation, there could be dozen's.. On your face  
arm and leg."  
~Face? They can fix my face?~  
"Perhaps. You have to understand, the state you were in,  
you  
wouldn't have survived a long complicated bout of surgery,  
and that  
your injuries were so severe none of the doctors  
could give you the level of treatment you needed. They did  
their best to save your life and your limbs. The rest.. is up  
to  
you now. You have to eat more even if you don't like being  
feed mushy  
food all the time. You can't go through more  
surgery till you satisfy him you're ready to undergo all the  
surgery you'll be up for. And you have to convince the Doctor  
we  
get that it won't be a waste of time. You have to be  
willing to accept set backs, pain, and a lot of frustration."  
He stroked Ray's head again.  
"Learning to walk again, even if the price is a lot of  
pain is worth it. I know.. I've got more pins than a pin  
cushion in my legs."  
~Do you still feel pain?~  
"Every day, love. But I learned to live with pain, I've  
forgotten what it was like to live without it.. And there are  
ways  
to control it, when it's intolerable. I've used some of  
my tried and true methods on you already."  
~Like your special muffins~  
Dean gave a little grin.  
"I know you do."  
Ray's mouth twisted into a painful looking smile for a  
moment and pain clouded his eyes.  
"Something else you have to do before you go into  
hospital is write enough advance columns to cover your stay."  
Ray gave a little nod.  
~How long?~  
"Six months minimum. It would take that long for all the  
major  
surgery and rehabilitation. Now.. get back to work,  
you've got another column to write and I've got some work of  
my own to do."  
~Yes, Master.~  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser lurked in the dense fringe of forest that ringed  
Dean's house and studio. Though his binoculars he watched Ray,  
who  
was sitting out in the sun, on one of Dean's latest  
creations, an ergonomic lounger, covered with a bright  
blanket, typing away on his lap top.  
As Ray lifted his head, tilting it as he thought about  
something, Fraser shuddered. The right hand side of Ray's face  
was  
a mess from the cheek clear to the jaw, his neck, what  
Fraser could see of it, was covered in scars too, red, livid  
and ugly. He known, intellectually, that George had been  
savagely mauled before his "dog" drove the bear away and to  
its death.  
He'd seen the report on the incident which had described  
George's ordeal. It was much as he'd pictured it. The poor man  
had  
been minding his own business, watching his "dog" chase  
some kind of lizard around when the bear crossed his path and  
came  
at him. He'd done the smart thing, ran for his life  
without a moments hesitation. Unfortunately he'd run out of  
places to flee when he reached the ravine. The drop was far  
enough to kill, it was too wide to jump, and the bear had  
caught up with him before he could chose another direction to  
go.  
His right arm had been slashed open to the bone in the  
bears first strike, as George had thrown his arm up to protect  
his  
face. The bear had broken several ribs, slashing open his  
side, and  
George went down curling up into a ball. The bear  
continued to maul him, until the "Dog" had caught up and gone  
for the bear, driving it back before going for its throat. The  
last  
thing George had seen before he passed out from the shock  
was the  
bear swiping Chow Hound away, before it fell over the  
edge of the  
ravine in its death throes.  
The injuries George sustained were mainly to the right  
hand side of his body, his arm, and leg were both slashed  
clear through to the bone, in more than one place. The  
Doctor's at the hospital he'd been airlifted too had done  
their best to save the limbs and repair the damage to his  
muscle and tissue. If George had the will power, and strength  
to  
get past the pain he'd be able to use them again, if not,  
he'd be crippled for life.  
Now, seeing him for the first time since the attack by  
the bear Fraser could image how horrific the scars he couldn't  
see  
were. It gave Fraser goose bumps to watch this man, so  
alike to his Ray. To see him so horribly scarred.  
He remembered him as he'd been the first time he'd seen  
him, frolicking in the river while Dean snapped away with his  
camera  
inducing him to pose in more and more provocative  
poses, until he'd got him onto a rock, glistening as the sun  
hit the water that beaded over and streamed down his body.  
Fraser had watched as he'd followed Dean's seductive  
instructions, touching himself, hands moving over his body,  
bringing himself to the peak of pleasure.  
Watching it had left Fraser with a raging hard on and a  
puddle of drool at his feet, then the man had opened his eyes  
and  
spotted him watching. He'd been less than quiet as he took  
off. And  
found a new place to hide, to watch him swim to the  
other side of  
the river, dress and flee taking Dean with him.  
Once they were gone  
he'd gone to the river bank, and  
after assuring himself there was no one else around, stripped  
and  
taken a cold dip to take care of the erection his  
unintentional voyeurism had left him with.  
He'd admitted for the first time that night that he had  
fallen in love Raymond Vecchio. He'd been fighting it for a  
long time, let Victoria turn his life upside and destroy it in  
an  
effort to deny his feelings and yes lust for his friend.  
Ray was straight, very very straight, and catholic, and he  
knew about the catholic view of that sort of thing. He'd  
accepted what Victoria had done to him as a punishment he  
deserved for his depraved desires for his best friend and  
soaked his pillow with his tears remembering Ray as he'd been  
the  
last time he'd seen him. Shaved bald, pale, thin, and so  
happy to see him.  
Victoria had seen it too. She'd been waiting for him to  
show up, knowing he would. She'd followed him through the  
hospital corridors, helped him pick flowers and a stuffed toy  
to  
buy to brighten up his room and hovered in the door  
watching him. She'd comforted him when he'd broke down after  
the visit, first Dief almost being killed, and then the  
confirmation Ray's memory was really gone when he'd ask who  
Diefenbaker was, not how he was.  
And when her trap had snapped tight around him, she'd  
made threats, saying how easy it would be to dress like a  
nurse, slip in while Ray was sleeping and inject poison into  
his I.V line to force him to do her bidding, and draw the  
noose that so much tighter.  
He'd gone with her when she'd fled the city with her  
diamonds, because he wanted to make sure she got away, to make  
sure  
she couldn't carry out her threat to kill Ray. That was  
when he found out about Jolly's murder, how she'd used his gun  
to  
do it. Of course she called it self defence, but he called  
it premeditated  
murder, she pointed out everyone thought she  
was dead, and he alone would be the prime suspect since she'd  
made  
it look like Jolly had trashed his apartment, looking for  
the money  
she'd slipped him to spread around town. He knew he  
could never return  
to Chicago, or Canada either. She'd been  
meticulous in her revenge.  
That was why he'd taken his relative's identity. He'd  
wondered if it was fate, that Victoria left him to die so near  
the  
place where the real Allen Pinset had died.  
George turned his head looking around at something and  
once again Fraser was struck by how much he looked like Ray.  
Fate was capacious, giving him a new life, just to taunt him  
with this reminder of the one he'd left behind.  
Then he saw George shove the lap top aside, face screwing  
up in pain as he pushed up and rolled off the lounge, rising  
up to his knees, arms going up, as Dief bounded up to him.  
He couldn't understand it. The dog was Dief, there was no  
doubt about it. Just as that man was George Fiorella, but the  
Private  
Detective he'd hired had proved that George and Ray  
were two separate people. George Fiorella wasn't a person  
who'd only begun to exist after Ray disappeared.  
It was still a puzzle he had yet to find all the pieces  
of. He slipped away, more determined to find the answers to  
those puzzling questions.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray sat before the window of the expensive private  
hospital Dean had booked him into for some cosmetic surgery.  
He'd already undergone several operations. And the Doctor had  
given  
him good news, and hope, but there was bad news too, and  
Ray dreaded  
the reaction Dean would have to that news.  
He sighed when he heard a little knock on the door, and  
looked around as it opened, just enough for Dean to peek in.  
"You're up."  
He slipped into the room with the biggest teddy bear Ray  
had ever seen in his life.  
"I brought you a little something to cuddle up to while  
you're here."  
"S'not little."  
Dean's smile widened and he left the bear on the bed and  
moved on to the chair to squat before Ray.  
"You spoke, you can talk."  
"Hurt.."  
"It doesn't hurt now?"  
"Still hurts.. Not as bad.."  
Dean patted his leg, the good one.  
"I'm sure by the time the Doctor's finished with you,  
that you'll be as good as new."  
Ray mentally sighed, he wouldn't be as good as new. Some  
of the scars went too deep and he'd have to live with them for  
the  
rest of his life.  
"I've got great news for you too."  
"What?"  
"I went back to my old firm to see some old friends. And  
Old  
Anderson, the Head of the Firm came to my hotel just to  
ask me to come back.. He wants me to work on a special  
project. There's a competition going on for a big contract,  
Every firm in the state wants it. And he thinks with me back  
on the team they can win it. He said if can come up with the  
winning design, I can name my price. And guess what it's for."  
Ray gave a tiny shrug and winced, not that Dean noticed  
it, with his face swathed in bandages.  
"A Museum of Modern Art. Some seriously wealthy art  
loving billionaire left a huge fortune to the city to build  
and run it and the budget is huge. Anderson says all it would  
take  
would be a tour of my place to convince them to award the  
contract  
to the firm, so we're setting it up now."  
"Once they see your Gallery you'll be a shoe in."  
"I'm kind of hoping that myself. If I can win the  
contract for the firm, it will solve all our problems. I won't  
have  
to start selling my works to pay your medical bills. And  
this time  
it won't just be a big fancy lobby I design, he's  
going to give me a shot at designing the whole damned thing,"  
Dean said, with a big smile, "And if I pull it off he'll make  
me a senior partner in the firm... I almost worked myself to  
death to become a junior partner, and now he's virtually  
handing me a senior partnership on a silver platter."  
He kissed Ray's hand.  
"I'll be as rich as everyone thinks I am when I get that  
partnership."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray gritted his teeth and clung to the rails while his  
physiotherapist encouraged him to move. With a hiss he bent  
his leg and took his first step. The brace around his leg took  
his  
weight as he took another and he gritted his teeth and  
forced himself to go past the pain and get to the other end of  
the  
frame.  
His physiotherapist watched him achieve that feat and was  
moving in with his chair when Ray turned and started making  
his slow way back to the other end, surprising him. He hadn't  
expected  
Ray to make it all the way across in the first place.  
He wondered  
what was motivating him, the pain he was in must  
have been incredible, yet he was pushing it aside to walk  
again.  
He clapped and made Ray return to his chair covering his  
sweat soaked torso with a towel.  
"That was better than I expected."  
"I was motivated."  
"Aha. And what's your motive?"  
"To get out of here."  
The physiotherapist laughed at that.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
With the aide of a brace and a cane, Ray limped through  
the incredible lobby of the office building that contained the  
office's  
of the Architectural firm Dean was working for. He  
kept turning in little circles, awed by the sheer size and  
beauty of it. Then his eyes were attracted to a collection of  
six  
huge paintings of buildings and spot lighted models either  
side of  
the huge grand staircase that lead to the first floor.  
He limped  
over to study one of the models close up and  
smiled when he saw Dean's name as concept artist on the little  
tag  
in the case. Then he turned and looked up the painting  
that towered over it, it had Dean's mark in a corner.  
A chuckle behind him made him jump and he almost lost his  
balance, caught it just in time and looked around to find a  
well dressed yuppie watching him.  
"Looking for the Architectural firm are we?"  
Ray gave a nod and looked at the painting again, then  
waved.  
"Are these examples of their work."  
"They're concept sketches of some of their projects. The  
company  
lost a lot of work when Alexander bailed out, he was  
the best concept artist in the business."  
"Don't you mean Architect."  
The yuppie snickered.  
"You've been reading the social pages haven't you."  
Ray  
looked at him.  
"He's an interior decorator and concept artist, not an  
architect. He couldn't design a *building* if his life  
depended on it. Though.. I must admit, he was one hell of an  
interior decorator," The yuppy said with a glance around. "He  
decorated this lobby."  
Ray looked around again.  
"Yup, that's what Anderson and Partners does best, "The  
best Lobbies in town.. Or at least, that's what they used to  
do.. Now, I'm amazed they can afford offices here..."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Everyone knows that companies on the verge of  
bankruptcy, they haven't had a decent contract since they lost  
Alexander.  
He knew how to dress up a building with all the  
nice little decorative touches."  
Ray didn't like the yuppy one little bit and suspected  
there was a reason for his malicious gossip. He looked at one  
of  
the paintings.  
"I thought this design was quite impressive, I saw the  
building down town."  
"That was built ten years ago."  
"I'm also quite impressed with this building."  
The yuppie snickered again.  
"They lost that contract, when they lost Alexander."  
"Oh,  
really, then why did he design the lobby?"  
"That was the only part of the design they came up with  
that the Board of Directors liked. They kept that and gave the  
contract  
to another firm, and told them to design something  
that would do it justice. Did a good job to if I don't say so  
myself,"  
then he smirked a little, "Though I'm biased, I work  
for that  
firm. And if you think these are impressive wait till  
you see the  
concept designs for the Art Museum we've got."  
"Funny,  
I heard Alexander was back on board here."  
The yuppy snorted again.  
"He's a washed up has been. Hasn't worked since he  
stomped on by that gang who liked stomping *Gay* men. I guess  
that  
say's a lot about his tastes. So does the fact they  
sacked him after it.. Old man Anderson didn't want no Gay boys  
on  
his team."  
"This lobby says something about his tastes too."  
"He hasn't worked in almost ten years. And I heard you  
needed to *prove* you could build a structure like the design  
you  
submit for the competition."  
"So?"  
"Well, Anderson and Partners has never built anything but  
Skyscrapers  
and apartment blocks. Where as my firm has 15  
years of experience at building malls and shopping complexes,  
sprawling  
complexes - Now, I maybe wrong, but if I was on the  
board I'd chose  
a firm that knows how to build something like  
that over a firm who  
builds scrapers any day."  
"Well, if I were on the board, I'd take on look at this  
lobby and ..."  
"Ah, but we built the lobby, Alexander decorated it when  
we  
were finished, the work was ours. And they don't have  
Alexander any more."  
"Obviously you don't read the social pages."  
The yuppy laughed.  
"I know what you're talking about, I read that report  
too, and do you know what it was based on, it was based on the  
fact  
that social snoop saw Alexander dropping in at the  
offices here. He was just dropping by to say hi to his old  
friends. There's not an ounce of truth in the rumours."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray sat before the window of his hospital room, staring  
out it, listening to Dean babble on as he fussed with the  
flowers he'd brought by the bed.  
"And we'll be heading out that way this weekend."  
Ray looked around.  
"Can I come too?"  
Dean froze for a few seconds, then resumed fussing but  
Ray didn't miss the tremor in his arms.  
"There won't be enough room for you love. They'll be  
sleeping over. As it is I'm going to have to head out  
tomorrow and turn your room in the studio into a bedroom to  
handle it."  
"But I don't need a room of my own, I can sleep with  
you."  
"No!"  
Ray looked out the window again.  
"Oh, don't take it like that love, you can't.. I might  
hug you or something in my sleep and that would just hurt  
you," Dean said moving in on Ray.  
"I can't touch you again till the Doctor's finished."  
"The  
Doctor has *finished* he's done all he can, the only  
reason I'm still  
here is to go through physiotherapy and to  
learn to live with the pain now."  
He ripped off the pressure mask that had covered his and  
face turning and clawing the medicated bandages over the scars  
that  
still marked it, the skin graft over his cheek and brow.  
"Take  
a good look Dean, he's *finished* This is what I'm  
going to look  
like for the rest of my life."  
He saw Dean recoiling. He didn't blame him, he'd recoiled  
the first time they'd taken off the bandages and seen it in  
the mirror. It looked almost as bad as it had in the early  
days. His face was still puffy and bruised from the delicate  
micro-surgery he'd undergone to reconnect severed muscle  
tissue. He'd never be able to smile again without it looking  
like a Billy Idol sneer.  
His arm and leg were indications of how his face would  
look after it heeled. Giving him his mobility back had been  
the doctor's first priority, he'd worked on them first, they  
were healed, and they still bore ugly scars. He ripped open  
his shirt, to show the ones on his side - which were no where  
near  
as bad.  
"Good as new," He spat, "Because they are new scars, in  
the place of the old ones. I'm never going to be good as new.  
I'm  
going to be scarred for life!"  
Dean's mouth moved but nothing came out of it at first.  
"I'll have enough money soon to pay for the best cosmetic  
surgeon's  
around, to get rid of them."  
"They can't! They're too deep, they're for life! And pain  
is  
just something I have to learn to live with, if I want to  
talk to you, or smile or laugh, or even turn my head. Pain is  
the  
price I have to pay if I want to move and be mobile  
again."  
Tears of pain ran down his face, it was costing him  
greatly and there was nothing hiding his face to mask it this  
time.  
"You should have left me there, you should have let me  
die - but nooooo. You had to play hero, so I'd be indebted to  
you."  
"No."  
"Get out, I don't need your pity! I don't need you!"  
The  
door flew open and a nurse stepped, his shouting  
could be heard in the hall.  
"George... Calm down.. Listen to me."  
"Get out of here!"  
"I'm sorry, Mr Alexander you'll have to leave now, you're  
upsetting  
Mr Fiorella, and his shouting is disturbing other  
patients," The nurse said reaching out to take Dean's arm as  
she reached his side.  
Dean didn't even fight it he let her lead him from the  
room and Ray sank back down onto his chair his hands flying to  
his  
face feeling hot sticky liquid against his skin. He looked  
at his  
hand and new tears poured down his face to mix with the  
blood streaming  
from his torn graft.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser sat on Clover's back scanning the area through his  
binocular's and did a double take as he saw a black horse on  
the  
other side of the River. He looked about then realised he  
was in  
the place he'd been told about. Over to the left there  
was a cross  
made of stones, and to the right an ugly looking  
tree stump that he was sure was the Lucifer Tree he'd been  
told about.  
When he looked through the binoculars again, he saw the  
horse grazing at the edge of the fire break. Then he frowned,  
it  
wasn't the same horse. This one had a bridle and a saddle.  
Its reigns  
were tied around its saddle peg. The horse he'd  
seen had been free of such things.  
He scanned the area around the horse, finally training  
the binoculars on the river bank and gave a little "Ah." Dean  
was sitting on a rock, staring into the water. He studied the  
man  
and frowned. The binoculars went down and he climbed off  
his horse to tie its reigns to a tree branch.  
Dean looked up as he heard someone jumping rocks near by  
and he saw Fraser standing on a rock arms flailing to catch  
his balance and the rock rocked. He went into the water, as  
the rock tumbled out of place before he could jump for the  
next.  
Dean almost snickered. He'd fixed those rocks so they  
would fall out of place if a person didn't know just the right  
place  
to jump on them. He didn't want tourists crossing over  
the river to roam around his land.  
Fraser's head came up and he shook water out of his long  
tresses and looked at the rock. He disappeared again, and the  
next  
time Dean saw him, he was past the rocks, and heading his  
way.  
It wasn't long before Fraser was climbing up the bank to  
approach, soaked clean through, dripping with every step he  
took.  
"Nice day for it," Dean said as Fraser lowered himself  
down to a rock to sit near him.  
"The water's deeper than it looks over there."  
"That it is."  
"I thought you went back to the city, with George."  
"I  
did. I'm back."  
"How's George?"  
Dean gave a shrug.  
=Ahhh... That explains it.=  
"He's gone."  
"Gone where?"  
Dean shrugged again.  
"He was in a bad mood the last time I saw him.. He found  
out  
he was going to be scarred for life.. Said I should have  
left him out there to die and told me to get out.. I had to  
leave, he was so.. distressed he didn't even notice when his  
skin graft tore open and blood started pouring down his face."  
Fraser gave a little shudder.  
"I thought.. He just needed a little time.. It looked  
terrible, but the Doctor did his best to make it possible for  
him  
to hide the scars, he was just suffering from post op  
bruising.. That always makes things look worse than they are."  
Fraser gave a little nod.  
"The Doctor told me to stay away until it healed, that  
he'd be less fiery when he saw that it wasn't as bad as he  
thought. So.. I came back here with some guests for the  
weekend. Thinking he'd cool down and be by the time I got  
back, when I got back, I waited, and waited for the doctor to  
tell  
me it was safe to visit him again, and when I got sick of  
waiting,  
I went there, and he was gone. He checked himself out  
of the hospital.  
Paid off the bill while I was out of town for  
the weekend. He knew  
I wouldn't be there... I told him. He  
couldn't have said I don't want your pity any clearer than  
that."  
"Pity??? Why would he think you pitied him? I thought  
you'd been together for quite some time.."  
"Not really... I asked him to stay after we first met,  
which was around the time you and I first met. But I messed up  
and  
he left. I found out where he lived and kept sending him  
letters asking him to come back... And what happens when he  
finally does, that bloody bear attacked him."  
"Oh.."  
"It's my fault... I should have just accepted it and let  
him  
go."  
"Why didn't you?"  
"You wouldn't understand."  
"Try me."  
"I left Hicksville USA because I was gay. Back then  
people just looked the other way if you beat up on someone who  
was  
gay. Or tossed them jail just for being gay. I went from  
city to city state to state. Till I finally settled down in  
one quite a long way from home. I had lovers, handsome and  
otherwise, gorgeous and plain. Smart and complete airheads."  
"But he's different."  
"He was so.. innocent. Even though he'd obviously seen  
the rough side of life. He was a virgin, though very  
passionate and quick to learn."  
Fraser nodded.  
"He loved my place, and he wasn't just talking about my  
house, he loved the land too."  
"That would be important for a potential live in lover."  
"Yes, it's very important. He said one of his goals was  
to buy a place like mine."  
"Are you sure it wasn't.. an act? That he wasn't  
pretending to be innocent, in *all* ways."  
"Absolutely, most of all about the fact he was a virgin,  
he  
didn't know what to do when I made a move on him. He has no  
idea  
what we got up to wasn't.. sex. So in a technical sense,  
he's still  
one."  
"You didn't sleep with him??? I thought."  
"Oh I slept with him.. I taught him things I wish my  
first lover had been experienced enough to teach me.. It can  
be messy..and painful if you don't know what you're doing in  
the heat of passion. And once I fully matured I wasn't exactly  
what  
you'd call average in the family jewels department. They  
used to  
call me the Stallion at college after someone got a  
peek in the showers. I got offered a *lot* of roles in Porno  
flicks. And for the construction of my mother's clinic in town  
accepting  
some."  
"You were involved in the pornography business?!"  
"Well, Dean William's was. I was pretty stupid back then,  
I  
got involved with the wrong people, and ended up testifying  
against  
them and being placed in the Witness Protection  
Program."  
Fraser was very surprised.  
"So Dean Alexander is just another identity that they  
created for you."  
"It's the name and identity I was born with. My name  
changed to William's after my mother married my stepfather. I  
took  
back my name - my birth name when I found my niche in  
life."  
"Ah. Didn't that threaten your place in the programme."  
"I lost that when they caught the last member of the ring  
who  
escaped the round-up. And no one in the ring knew where my  
tastes  
lay. I haven't had sex, straight or otherwise since my  
first experience  
\- which was before I fully matured."  
Fraser idly wondered just how well endowed he was.  
"I found other way's to get my satisfaction. One of my  
faults is that I'm a terrible voyeur. A legacy of my day's in  
the  
Porn business. There was a girl, a young woman who was  
head over heels in love with me."  
"Who they thought was your lover."  
"Exactly. I wasn't looking for anything but friendship at  
that  
time, and spent a great deal of time with her before I  
got in deep with the ring. And discovered voyeurism. Something  
not  
too many of my lovers have complained about. You can learn  
a lot  
about how to please a lover if you can convince them to  
relax and  
please themselves in front of you. And my George, he  
didn't even  
know how to do that till I woke up his sexuality..  
He was perfect..  
Someone who didn't know what sex was, but who  
had a raw and passionate  
nature.. And wasn't afraid to explore  
it - free of any expectations  
or taboos. And a romantic to  
boot."  
"How do you know he was a romantic?"  
"Little things. He wrote a poem for me. He's a writer.  
I've been reading his stories.. I usually end up laughing so  
hard I either wet myself or hyper-ventilate, even if I'm not  
in the mood to laugh.. That's a rare talent. He writes  
mysteries, thriller and crime stories.. Something that should  
be  
serious, but even when he's being serious it's hysterically  
funny..  
He made me laugh, I like that. I loved that. I love a  
man with a  
sense of humour."  
"So all in all he was the man you've been waiting your  
life to meet."  
"Yes, that's it, you've hit the nail on the head there.  
I'll never meet anyone like him again."  
"You're not that old, Dean, you'll find someone who wants  
to  
share your life and home who you'd..."  
"I'm dying - now."  
Fraser trailed off his eyes widening.  
"Aids?"  
"Cancer."  
"Inoperable?"  
"I've already been through it once.. The doctor's went  
after it aggressively.. I damn near died."  
"They missed something."  
"Just as I got my health back, returned to work, and  
found the lover who was the best damn one I ever had.. My  
whole world came crashing down.. Six months.. For six months I  
had  
everything I wanted.. Well almost.. But I was on my way to  
achieving  
my goals, and very happy with my lover, till a gang  
of thugs who  
thought it was their business to teach us the  
error of our ways followed us.. And .. well.. I barely  
survived their "lesson." The cancer started where when one  
of  
them stomped on me with his boot, breaking bones and causing  
internal injuries. I lost a kidney I have one left.. I've  
lived the healthy life, stress free up here, good diet, good  
exercise air.. The doctor said, I wouldn't have lasted as long  
as  
I have if I'd stayed in the city in a stressful job. Even  
if I stay here, living my healthy life.. I'll be dead within  
two years."  
"And they're nothing then can do."  
"There's a 75% chance I'd die undergoing treatment. A 25%  
chance  
I'd survive, and no guarantee it would be a cure,  
there's a high chance it would just reoccur... And I could end  
up  
needing organ transplants. Heart, lung and kidney."  
"You decided to live with it."  
"I've been through it before, their idea of a cure was  
worse than the disease. I would rather.. die with dignity,  
doing what I love, having achieved my goals, all of them, than  
going  
through that again.. I couldn't work, I couldn't sleep,  
eat, it took  
my mother six months to nurse me back to semi-  
fitness, and she looked after me, the way I cared for George."  
"May I ask what happened to your lover you said he was  
with you."  
"He didn't survive."  
Fraser reached out to give him a sympathetic pat.  
"They caught them... 3 months later.. And they didn't  
even try to conceal their motives.. I lost everything. As  
soon as the head of the firm I worked for and had been  
promised a partnership in found out I was gay, I was sacked.  
No  
one else would hire me, until one company sent a head  
hunter and told me they had snatched a project away from my  
old firm and wanted me on their team.. I was sacked the day  
after I completed supervising the construction of the element  
I designed..  
The lobby.. It was.. a labour of love, from  
start to finish - and when it was finished so was I.. They  
added insult to injury, by listing me as their "Interior  
Decorator."  
"Oh dear."  
"They didn't just sack me.. I was called in to see the  
head, and he savaged my work, my standing, he said I had no  
business calling myself an architect.. When all I ever did  
was design Boot-e-full interiors for offices and skyscrapers.  
That  
they'd only hired me because the board of the company who  
gave them  
the contract - and originally awarded it to my old  
firm, wanted my lobby. They scrapped the original designs,  
months of work by the team, threw everything but my concept  
sketches of interiors and model of the lobby in the trash.  
They gave my sketches and model to the firm that hired me and  
told  
them it was their contract if they designed a building  
that would compliment that... It's usually the other way  
around."  
Fraser chuckled.  
"They only reason my old firm got it was... the office I  
did  
concept sketches and models for, Anderson, the head of the  
Firm told  
us all to design a new office.. He selected my  
interior designs, and made me the head of the Interior design  
depart...  
One step away from a junior partnership.. I had to  
put in five years as a head of a department and prove I could  
run  
it smoothly and work with a team, and not grandstand and  
ego trip.. They sacked me a week before I would made it."  
"And  
you wanted it."  
"So bad I could taste it. A junior partner can oversee  
any project they bring to the company. I *won* that contract  
for the firm, it was my work entirely.. I showed them my  
designs and models and they expected me to oversee it to  
design something that fit their brief. They're very big art  
sponsors, and they had money, it was the biggest contract that  
firm  
had ever been awarded. They lost it, when the sacked me."  
"And  
the other firm knew it which is why they hired you  
and used the fact to get the contract."  
"They knew I couldn't resist the chance to thumb my nose  
at  
my old firm... I fell for it.. While I resent what Anderson  
did,  
I can respect him, it was a moral and political decision.  
He's old  
fashioned, and told me, honestly it was no a  
reflection on my work, that he thought I had more talent than  
any  
of the senior partners, but he could not keep me at the  
firm. He gave me a more than generous severance package. It  
paid for my house."  
"You can't say the same for the second firm."  
"There were deceitful from the start, they said it they'd  
take  
me on for a trial period. If it didn't work out, no hard  
feelings,  
no severance, just adios. They never intended to  
keep me on once that project was completed. I could have lived  
with  
that, just to work on it... It was the best thing I'd  
done to go out with a bang and not a whimper is the way to go  
if  
you know what I mean?"  
"I understand."  
"But they had to stick the knife in twist it. And I would  
so  
love to be able to turn the tables.." he said, and sighed  
"But  
I can't."  
"But weren't you offered work, you told me about your  
important visitors and a wonderful project, an art Gallery."  
"Museum. Biggest project going in my old stomping  
grounds."  
"Why don't you take it?"  
"It's not up for tender. The contract will be awarded by  
a panel  
of judges, they set a budget, it's up to the person  
who gets the contract to bring it in, on budget, and oh what a  
budget.  
Anderson offered me a senior partnership *full*  
control and design privileges to rejoin the firm and come up  
with an entry for that competition. And they're desperate to  
win it, the company's on the verge of bankruptcy because of a  
dirty  
tricks campaign by guess who.."  
"The company who hired you after Anderson's firm sacked  
you."  
"Right. They want to stomp them into the ground," he said  
and sighed, "and they will, Anderson arranged to have two of  
the judges come here to see my place and the designs for the  
Art Gallery I want to build for the county."  
"I've seen the designs at the county hall, breathtaking,  
and  
very very impressive."  
"Anderson came up, of course, and after they'd seen the  
models and designs and stayed at my place one asked me to show  
him  
around the property, just so he could have a little chat  
with me.. He told me that there'd been twenty entries  
Anderson's and Stomp'em were the only big name firms who  
haven't entered it yet. He told me none of the designs met  
the design criteria, which they didn't publicly announce. He  
told me - I don't need to tell you what it is, you live in  
designed, built, and live in a house that fits the criteria..  
You  
would win the contract no competition *if* you were with a  
firm that  
met the condition's of entry.. Stomp'em does,  
Anderson's doesn't."  
"Oh dear. The only way to get it, is to go back to the  
firm you'd rather die than work for."  
"Literally. I could die happy if I could just find a way  
to  
make Anderson's company eligible to be in the race, to  
snatch it out of Stomp'em's grasp."  
"That's not really their name?"  
"No. But it's what a lot of people call them. Anderson  
got the last laugh at the Hayden Building, Stomp'em built it,  
but  
Anderson got the 1st floor for their new offices.. And you  
can only  
reach it by walking through that lobby," He smiled  
faintly,  
"And they ripped up Stomp'em's idea of a good  
interior design for that floor and used the one that got me  
made head of Interior design.. I was actually quite surprised  
and  
that's what made me listen to Anderson when he found out I  
was there  
and came to make his pitch. He really meant it, he  
loved my work.. It hurt his firm, but he stood by his  
principals. Now things have changed and not just the firms  
standing and fortunes. He said, I'm an old man, who built it  
from the ground up, and I'm too old to change, it needs a  
young visionary to take it into the 21st century.. He was  
hinting that he'd do more than make me a senior partner.. I  
didn't have the heart to tell him he'd probably out live me."  
"You're sure it's not just a ploy to get you for the art  
museum."  
"I knew it when I saw their new offices. Anderson always  
praised  
my work.. And a firm like that is only as good as its  
leading architect  
\- he said that.. He said, I was grooming you  
for that role.. You  
are a visionary.. art and architectural  
masterpieces go hand in glove and you understand that. No one  
else  
in the firm does. He's watching the firm he built die, he  
wants  
to keep it alive and he's willing to do what it takes,  
he's not going to stab me in the back.. Like Stomp'em. He even  
gave  
me a contract... It's water tight. Even if I don't win  
the contract for them - I get everything he promised, and full  
design  
control over *any* project I bring to the firm. I  
wanted that.. But it's not worth it.. If I returned there, and  
took  
it up.. I'd be dead with 12 months.. It'd be worth it  
to build the museum and leave something magnificent behind to  
say  
I was here and this is my masterpiece."  
"Your master piece is that house."  
"I have no one to leave it too.. I have to leave it to a  
blood  
relative.. Or my spouse.. That's why I tried to find a  
relative. I spent a fortune trying to find the one member of  
the female sex I slept with.. before I worked out I was gay.  
In the hope she might have had a child.."  
"No luck."  
"What so ever. I'd leave it to you.. But my lawyer  
pointed out, it was my father's blood line it referred to, not  
my  
mothers. Though I could and did draw up a will..along the  
lines of I leave my property yadda yadda yadda to my spouse,  
should I die without a spouse, I leave it to my only *known*  
living relative, Allen Pinset. Should he precede me, to any of  
his  
children, and should he have none it shall revert to the  
county."  
"Dean.. I couldn't take your property, I love it, but..  
people would do nothing but talk..."  
"I wrote it before we met. And my lawyer would make sure  
that  
was made known if I didn't get married first."  
"Oh."  
"Now I've met you I feel better about it.. You appreciate  
the  
land.. I'm sure you'd be very happy here," he gave Fraser  
a  
nudge, "And you could move off the station and live here,  
and  
get away from Ranger Redneck."  
"I think Redneck is too harsh."  
"You do???"  
"He doesn't drink, loves animals, and is closest book  
worm."  
Dean laughed.  
"O.k.. So he has a mouth like a sewer pit, and a mind  
like one two, and the only thing on it 98% of the time is sex,  
either  
pursuing it, or gossiping about other peoples sex  
lives."  
"That's him alright.. Are you sure he doesn't drink."  
"He  
said, Al, booze and a filthy mind like mine don't  
mix."  
"Hmmmm."  
"He said something about finding that out the hard way  
and learning his lesson early."  
"He's still a Redneck in my book."  
"To each his own opinion."  
"Does it annoy when he calls you Al?"  
"Sometimes."  
"Call him Shamrock."  
"Why?"  
"His name is Petersham - that's his *first* name. They  
used to call him, Pete, Petey and Shamrock at school. It would  
drive  
him nuts when people called him Shamrock.. Because he  
heard some girls giggling about how it meant Block head."  
"Ooooh...  
I'll have to remember that one. and one favour  
deserves another..  
I take it you turned down Anderson's  
offer?"  
"I told him he couldn't win the contract, and that it was  
the  
only thing that could convince me to return to the city."  
"So  
you're free to pursue other projects?"  
"Yes."  
"The visitors centre at the main entrance burned down  
while you were away. They're looking for someone to design and  
build  
a new one, The Super gave me a big hint that they'd like  
to hire  
a *local* architect.. And you're the only Architect in  
the area who  
can call himself a local."  
Dean grabbed him kissed him, then jumped to his feet and  
bounded away to his horse with a definite spring in his step.  
Fraser  
watched him go slightly stunned.  
"Well... And to think Meghan said I'd have to twist his  
arm off to get him to agree to it."  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray laughed, as his would be mugger backed up, then spun and  
run away. His laughter had an edge of madness to it, and it was  
that  
which had justifiably scared the young mugger.  
"Come back, don't you want to kill me, go ahead, punk, do me  
a favour."  
The mugger fast pace increased, he wanted nothing to do with  
the madman. The volume of Ray's laughter increased as he walked  
on.  
He resented the fact the younger would be mugger hadn't taken  
him  
up on it, his new life was over. He'd lost everything, Dief,  
his  
vehicle, his notes and stories. All the money he'd started  
off with  
and earned. There'd be no more money for his column.  
They'd already  
paid him and he'd left all the materials he could  
use for future  
ones at Dean's place. He couldn't go back there,  
he didn't have enough  
money to catch a cab downtown, let alone to  
travel halfway across  
the country.  
He'd been a fool to let his pride get in the way. He hadn't  
realised how expensive the surgery and his stay at the hospital  
would  
be. He'd left there with barely enough money left pay for  
the room  
at a down town flea pit he'd been reduced to staying in  
while he  
waited for his skin grafts to heal. He only ate once a  
day, at a  
soup kitchen. He didn't have the money to spare for  
meals and only  
ate soup and food he didn't need to chew again.  
He cursed the fact  
the only clothes he had was the suit he'd  
been wearing when he arrived at the hospital, and the sweat suit  
Dean had brought him to wear instead of the drafty hospital gown.  
Now the sweat suit were his pyjamas's and he was forced to wash  
his  
suit, shirt and underwear every night in the rooms tiny  
basin, to dry them on coathangers.  
Even though he'd had a temporary abode, he hadn't had the  
option of going on welfare, all his I.D had been left behind at  
Dean's.  
And work, that was for able bodied, fresh faced people,  
not scarred,  
rail thin and half crippled people like him. No  
work, no money, no money, no room, which is how he ended up on  
the  
street.  
It would have been a kindness if that mugger had killed him.  
Now all he had were the clothes on his back and a face not even a  
mother could love.  
He sunk down on the sheltered steps of on apartment block  
thinking of his mother and family. Hot salty tears filled his  
eyes  
as he thought about the way he'd so callously faked his  
death to escape them. They'd only been trying to do what was best  
for him. His mother had been right to react the way she had.  
She'd been right about releasing Dief into the wild as being too  
dangerous. Look at where ignoring her warnings had left him.  
Even if he wanted too, he couldn't return to them, he'd  
never be able to explain the body, he'd be up for insurance fraud  
on top of that. He bashed his head against the wall for being  
such  
a fool. He should have just taken the money and run, but no,  
he had  
to show them all, he had to kill Raymond Vecchio, bury him  
once and  
for all to be free of him.  
Now that he needed his family desperately to get back up on  
his feet, he was caught neatly in his own little web of deceit.  
His  
only other option, to face Dean and ask for his things, was  
out.  
He didn't have the money for a phone call, and Dean had left  
the  
city after learning he'd left the hospital. Otherwise, he'd  
swallow  
his damned pride and trek across the city to face Dean  
and beg if  
he had to, to get his things back.  
"You know, the only thing that'll get you is a head ache,"  
a  
familiar voice said.  
Ray started and looked around to see a woman in the shadows.  
She was standing in the entry door way to the building looking  
down  
at him, even from the shadows she looked familiar. No, that  
wasn't  
true, her voice was what was familiar. He'd heard it  
somewhere.  
Then she stepped forward and he saw her face framed by long  
and lustrous black curls. It didn't ring a single bell. She  
stepped closer looking down at him and he turned his face so she  
wouldn't see the scars. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her  
smile.  
"You're Ray Vecchio, aren't you, Benton's Friend?"  
Benton, the Mountie, that voice, that's where he'd heard it,  
at the hospital.  
"I'll wait here while you talk to your friend," she'd said,  
the last time he'd seen Benton.  
He hadn't seen her, that's why the voice but not the face  
was familiar. She was the woman who'd framed and probably  
murdered his friend.  
Her hand was on his arm, drawing him up to his feet. Her  
eyes widened a fraction as she saw his face, but that was all.  
"How  
did that happen?"  
He didn't answer, just stared at her memorising every inch  
of her face. She touched his face, her fingers running over the  
prickly  
growth of stubble growing in and her eyes raked him over,  
assessing  
every inch of him.  
"Come with me, my apartment's nice and warm, and it's cold  
out  
here."  
He let her lead him into the building and wondered if he'd  
live to see the dawn, maybe god was answering his wish to die.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser smiled as he watched the construction board declaring  
the site of the soon to be new visitors centre go up. The firm  
awarded  
the contract was Anderson & Partners, and the name of the  
Senior  
Architect for the job emblazoned on the board in much  
bigger letters was Dean Alexander.  
He looked around to watch Dean take a step away from  
Anderson as the man tried to pat his back. Then Dean turned away  
to approach Fraser who found it very interesting.  
"Thank's for all your help."  
"You didn't need any. The job was yours if you wanted it the  
moment the old centre burned down."  
Dean gave a faint little smile.  
"I had the feeling they would have said yes to any design we  
tendered."  
"They probably would have. All you had to do was take the  
first  
step."  
"Here's hoping that this is just the first step toward  
bigger and better things."  
Fraser looked at Anderson watching them.  
"I'm confused, I thought you said you rejected his offer."  
"There was one condition of the entry requirements  
Anderson's firm couldn't meet, *proof* they could design and  
build anything remotely like the project up for grabs. I checked  
with the judges, it just squeaks in. If we can get this centre  
designed  
and built - on budget before the closing date for the  
competition,  
and get a design in for the museum, we're a shoe  
in."  
"You'll be quite busy then."  
"As a beaver.. For a change.. You know, this is better than  
the art gallery it will be bigger, more people will see it, and  
it'll be something I can leave behind here.. at home."  
Anderson walked up and thrust his hand at Fraser.  
"How do you do."  
"Mr Anderson."  
"You have me at an advantage."  
"Allen Pinset."  
"He's my cousin, you don't need to suck up."  
"Cousin.. I don't see any resemblance."  
"On my mother's side. His mother was my aunt."  
"I take after my father's side of the family," Fraser said,  
which was true for Allen Pinset.  
"Ah... I see you're a ranger... Dean's had some... Ideas  
about  
building materials which would help us bring this baby in  
under budget...  
Maybe you can tell me wether or not those ideas  
will be met with  
a good or bad reception."  
Dean rolled his eyes.  
"I can't speak for my superiors sir," Fraser said neatly  
side stepping the question.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray looked at his face in the mirror and the same face that  
had looked back at him the day before looked back, it wasn't the  
same face that he was used to seeing yet. Victoria had run her  
finger  
over his stubbled face and mused that if he'd let it grow  
out, his  
beard would probably hide his scars. Six weeks later,  
he was still  
alive, and she'd been proved right, it did hide his  
scars, that and  
a turtle neck shirt under the clothes she'd help  
him get.  
He never spoke to her pointing to the scars on his throat,  
and she'd assumed he couldn't speak. He expected that night she'd  
found him on the steps to be his last, instead, she put a roof  
over  
his head, fed him and helped him to find the local charity  
for the  
homeless. They'd given him a bed and clothes to wear that  
hid more  
than his suit. They gave him a chance to earn his keep  
too. At first  
it was by helping out in the office as a typist. He  
got the very  
minimum wage, but he got food and board on top of  
that, the clothes,  
well, he could pick and chose from the large  
collection they had  
on offer, but everything went back into the  
collection at the end  
of the day.  
Later as he learned the way the office worked he was put in  
charge of booking in other men who came through the homeless  
shelter. That was the hardest part of his job, getting them to  
give  
their details, to judge wether or not it was safe to accept  
them  
or to send them on to another shelter. Men and women came to  
this  
centre, children too. They did more than fed, shelter and  
clothe  
their ever shifting residents, they helped them get back  
on their  
feet. So they were picky about who they took and it gave  
him an ego  
boost to be chosen and elevated to the ranks of the  
staff.  
With their help he saved his wages, he'd told them how all  
his belongings had been left behind interstate. They'd offered to  
pay for his bus ticket, then found out how much that would cost,  
this way was much better.  
Their budget would stretch to a new staff member, and he  
saved hard to earn the money for his ticket. And it wasn't going  
to be a one way ticket. After the first week, he'd been told his  
job was secure *as long* as he wanted it. He intended to go back  
to get his things and return. He had no where to put it, but his  
wage would be enough to pay to keep it in storage till he got  
back  
up on his feet.  
In the meantime, the boss lady had given him permission to  
use the computer for typing up his stories - so long as he did it  
after hours. He planned to find an agent and take his next step  
toward  
his goals.  
He felt hot breath against his neck as a hand reached out  
and tapped the save key. His sex stirred and he looked up and  
around  
gave a crooked smile to his co-worker, Lily, and at the  
confirmation  
that she was the one who'd breathed on his neck, his  
groin started  
to throb.  
"What are you typing?"  
He switched off the screen and waited for the disk drive to  
stop whirring.  
"Just another one of my stories."  
"I love hearing all your stories."  
The throbbing in his groin increased.  
"You can tell me all about it over dinner."  
He stabbed the power button and shut off the computer and  
shivered as he felt her breath on his neck again.  
"I ate with the rest of the guys earlier."  
She moved away, to shut and lock the door. He turned in his  
chair as her hand moved to turn off the lights, leaving only the  
glow of the desk lamp to light the room. He gave a little gulp.  
She'd  
been flirting with him for a while and getting more and  
more obvious  
each day.  
She made it blatantly obvious a moment latter shucking off  
the coat she wore, to reveal nothing but some racy and very  
scanty underwear.  
"Uh.."  
She stalked back across the room and he reached out to turn  
off the desk lamp. He felt her move to sit on his lap, and her  
breasts  
pushing against his chest as she reached for it again,  
but he caught  
her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss her  
palm.  
"No."  
Lily wiggled on his lap and thrust down.  
"Is that a no to the light or a no to this, because, unless  
I'm mistaken, part of you is saying yes," Lily said.  
"Part of me doesn't really know any better."  
"Oh really," Lily purred giving another wiggled and running  
a hand down his shirt to find a nipple through the shirt and  
start teasing it.  
The throbbing became a pounding.  
"Can.. I keep my clothes on?" He asked.  
"Oh, kinky."  
"Uh..hu."  
"Maybe," she said, letting her hand travel down to his belt,  
"But this will have to go."  
He let Lily remove it, then she undid his button and slid  
his zipper down before rising up on her knees to brush his face  
with  
her lace incased breasts. He wasn't exactly sure how to go  
about  
it with a woman, but he figured it couldn't be all that  
different  
to doing it with a man and reached up to find her bra's  
clasp and  
undo it.  
"Uh... You'll.. have to.. tell me.. if I do something  
wrong.. I don't have.. much experience.. with women."  
"How much have you had..?"  
"None," he admitted.  
"You are single aren't you?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, if you're a fast learner, you won't be for long."  
He gave a crooked smile, Lily had virtually proposed to him  
on the third day. He wasn't sure if she was serious or not, and  
found  
that he didn't care. Her hand was moving over him in the  
most distracting  
way. Then it stopped.  
"You didn't answer my question.."  
"Yes I did.."  
"The other one.. If you want me to leave you alone, I will."  
He answered her by nuzzling at her breast till he found a  
nipple and latched onto it. She gave a pleased little sigh and  
started  
stroking him again.  
He discovered quite a few things he'd learned at Dean's  
hands worked for a woman too and her enthusiastic response was  
all  
the stimulation he needed. She panted praise and  
encouragement in his ear and then freed his rampant sex to touch  
it again. He waited for her to do as Dean had done and came half  
off the chair when she thrust down on him taking him inside.  
His breath caught in his throat, his heart thudded and he  
dropped back as she wiggled and moved over him, warm, moist and  
pulsing.  
"Hold out your arms," She panted.  
He would have blown out his brains if she asked him to just  
to continue. She took hold of his arms and started sliding back  
making  
little thrusts against him as she went drawing little  
moans of delight out of him.  
Then her legs moved, wrapping around him and he wondered  
what to do next. She told him and he readily obliged her. Every  
breathless  
instruction she gave him, he followed. He pulled her  
back and hugged  
her tight, and had his shoulder bitten as she  
climaxed bringing him  
to his own.  
He stroked her back and held till his body stopped shaking  
and looked into her almost luminescent eyes.  
"Is.. it always's like that?"  
Lily smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.  
"No... For a novice you are a great lover."  
He almost told her he had a good teacher, but remembered  
Dean's warning about how some people in the city reacted and  
thought better of it.  
"I feel.. horribly guilty about that now."  
"Oh, why?"  
"Open my shirt.  
Lily slid back enough so she could unbutton his shirt.  
"Touch me. Slide your hands over me."  
She did and she felt them stop for a moment, then her finger  
tips started tracing scars.  
"They're not just on your face."  
"There are.. scars from my head to my toe along that side of  
my body."  
"What gave them to you?"  
"A bear. I curled up into a ball and it got nasty.. My...  
dog  
drove it away.. and saved my life."  
Lily slid back further and won his heart by covering a scar  
in tiny kisses.  
"You don't care?"  
"It wasn't your looks that attracted me," Lily said as she  
followed a scar line up his throat then nipped his ear.  
"What did?"  
"You make me laugh. That turns me on," she said and pushed  
his shirt off and found a new line of scar to kiss.  
"Well what you're doing is turning me on."  
"Did you say they go from head to toe?"  
He nodded and she pulled his shirt back up and buttoned it  
while she kissed him. He returned the kiss with passion when  
Lily's hands moved over his sex again, but she didn't have  
another session in mind, tidying up his clothes and setting them  
to rights before she stood and found her under wear and coat  
pulling them on.  
He was disappointed.  
"Back door, fifteen minutes, make sure you lock it behind  
you..  
I'll be waiting with my car," Lily said as she moved back  
to  
lean over him to kiss him again.  
"And when I get you back to my place, I'm going to kiss  
every scar from your head to your toe and see how fast a learner  
you are."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray lay on Lily's bed content to be snuggled up to and have  
his scars traced by a soft gentle finger tip as the morning sun  
tinted  
her room pink.  
"Can I ask you a question?" Lily asked.  
"Anything," the contented Ray responded.  
"About that woman, the one who brought you to the shelter  
and  
called you Raymond."  
Ray was silent for a time then nodded.  
"Why didn't you tell her who you were? Why did you let her  
think  
you couldn't talk? Why didn't you talk for three days?  
Why..."  
"That's four questions already."  
"Answer them."  
"She thinks I'm someone else. And I was cold, hungry and  
desperate  
enough to play dumb so she wouldn't realise I wasn't  
the person she  
thinks I am."  
"But.. You told us who you are. After you settled in. Why do  
we have to call you Ray around her and pretend you can't talk?"  
"I can't tell you that... I have a suspicion about her but  
I'm  
still waiting for some kind of confirmation... I don't want  
to make  
a mistake... "  
"There's nothing going on between you and her?"  
"Absolutely nothing. She makes my blood run cold."  
"Good... Because I want you all to myself."  
Ray smiled.  
"You got me."  
Lily's hand wandered again.  
"Would you do something for me?" Ray asked.  
"Anything."  
"Jump off a bridge."  
Lily giggled.  
"But seriously.. I want you to do me a favour.. If I ever go  
to lunch with her and *don't* get back at the normal time I want  
you to go to my locker... There's a letter there.. It'll explain  
everything. It's insurance... Please don't pry unless I don't  
come  
back from a lunch with her. She's so.. nice.. and friendly..  
I'd  
hate to discover I'm right about her, and hate it even more  
if I  
were wrong and you insulted and offended her because you  
read it  
on the sly."  
She planted a kiss on his chest.  
"Only the boss lady has the spare keys. I can't get into  
your  
locker unless she gives it to me."  
"Good."  
Her mouth roamed lower.  
"I know this will sound strange.. But you're better than  
Dean's  
muffins."  
She giggled.  
"They were herbal ones... To take my pain away... They  
always worked and made me feel wonderful."  
Her body slid over his and she kissed his nose.  
"And you think I'm better?"  
"Absolutely."  
"Who's Dean?"  
"He nursed me back to health after the bear got me."  
"And  
he has all your things."  
"That's right."  
"Can't you just call him and ask him to return them?"  
"I  
don't know how... I just know his place is half way  
across the country. I'd have to go there, personally to get it  
back.  
If he's even there."  
"You don't know?"  
"He could be in the city again.. But then he could have been  
lying to me... Someone I talked to told me things about him I  
didn't  
want to believe.. So I did some research and found out  
that man was  
telling the truth. Now I don't know what to believe  
about Dean any  
more.."  
"I could give you the money you need."  
"What?"  
"So you can get your things.. and all your papers.."  
"It's  
a lot of money.. I'd have to..."  
"You'll need those papers."  
He sensed she was leading up to something. Something  
important.  
"I'm not rich, but I'm not poor either, I can support a  
husband  
until he can afford to support me."  
He digested and translated that.  
"Is that a proposal?"  
"How many times do I have to ask?"  
"Just once."  
"O.K. Will you marry me?"  
He smiled cupping her head and kissed her.  
"I thought you'd never ask."  
She gave him a pinch and he laughed.  
"Yes."  
She kissed him and proceeded to thoroughly make love to him.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Ray."  
Ray looked up then realised what he'd been called and saved  
the document he'd been working on. He turned away as the smiling  
Lily lead Victoria into the room, Victoria looked a little  
irritated.  
"Look who's here, your friend."  
"Hello, Ray."  
He gave her a little nod.  
"Go on, go to lunch - but don't be gone too long."  
Ray gave a little nod and followed Victoria. She took him to  
a Mc Donald's and chattered away about Benton and he listened,  
scoffing  
down his fries, seething and keeping his eyes down so  
she wouldn't  
see it in them.  
She asked him to excuse her while she went to the toilet and  
while she was gone he palmed the vial he'd been keeping in his  
pocket  
waiting for her to visit and take him out to lunch again.  
He popped  
the lid off the stopper and then pretended to snitch  
one of her fries  
while he was pouring it over them, he knocked  
them to the tray and  
then brushed them back into the pack,  
thoroughly coated with the fine powder indistinguishable from the  
salt on the fries.  
Someone walked up to ask if he had the time and he pulled  
back his sleeve and held his arm up so the person could see the  
watch  
that was his engagement present from Lily.  
"I can't read those sort of watches, can you tell me what  
time  
it is?"  
The last thing Ray wanted was for Victoria to walk out and  
see him talking to someone. He thought fast and flipped his place  
mat over and then dipped his finger into his drink over and over  
and used the liquid to write the time in big numerals on the back  
of the mat.  
"Oh.. Thank's."  
The person wandered off and he wiped his hand on his pants  
then accidentally on purpose knocked his drink over the edge of  
the  
table. The last thing he wanted to do was drink it, some of  
the powder  
might have mixed with the drink and he was sure  
Victoria would wonder why he wasn't touching his drink.  
A staff member hurried over while he was trying  
ineffectually to mop it up with his lone serviette. Victoria  
returned and after the staffer departed offered him some of hers.  
He took one sip and shook his head and mimed being thin enough.  
She  
laughed.  
"Yes.. You certainly are."  
She offered him her chips but he waved her off and held up  
his burger and she shrugged and started munching on chips between  
natterings, while he ate his burger and silently gloated to  
himself, remembering to keep his eyes down.  
When she finished her chips and her drink she rose and he  
took the tray to take care of it while she went to the counter.  
When  
he rejoined her at the door she handed him another drink and  
he gave  
a smile and dropped his eyes as she let her fingers brush  
over his  
as she handed it over.  
She gave a little smile and pushed the door open for him,  
following him out and they wandered through the streets, her  
leading him an arm wrapped around his, as she talked about this  
and  
that.  
He was less than surprised when he found himself being lead  
up the stairs to her apartment, he'd been expecting it, she'd  
been  
carrying out a subtle seduction the last few times she'd  
invited  
him to lunch. He wondered just how long it would take for  
the sedative  
he'd sprinkled all over her chips to finally kick in  
and if he could  
stomach her switching from subtle to overt  
seduction.  
He didn't think he was in any particular danger, other than  
the danger of losing his lunch, too many people had seen him with  
her, she was anything but stupid, and he doubted she'd try  
anything. His guess was that she'd probably try to get him to  
agree  
to sneak out of the shelter and met her somewhere secluded.  
He didn't  
intend to fall into her trap.  
He followed her into her apartment and she threw subtle  
right out the window, as soon as the door closed behind him.  
She was all over him. He reacted on his first instinct rejecting  
it but she just laughed, calling him shy, saying how Benton told  
her he'd suffered total amnesia.. Calling him a virtual virgin,  
and  
much as Dean had, saying that it would be a pleasure to teach  
him  
what he was missing out on.  
She chased him around the apartment, cornering him again  
and again, to kiss and fondle him. He ended up pinned against the  
bedroom door, panting and wide eyed as she left her mark on his  
neck  
as her hand moved over his sex teasing him, skilfully  
drawing a response he hated his body for having.  
She gave a pleased little growl, opened the door and quickly  
shoved him into the room beyond while he was off balance. He  
wasn't given a chance to recover his lost balance. Victoria  
followed him in and with little shoves steered him through the  
room  
to shove him down onto the bed. He tried one last time to  
escape  
her clutches, and apart from screaming no, couldn't have  
made it  
any clearer he wasn't interested.  
She just gave him that smile that always sent a chill down  
his spine pinning him down on the bed straddling him, to rub  
herself against him.  
"You know you want it. You just don't know what to do about  
it, but don't you worry my little mouse, I'll teach you things  
you  
couldn't imagine in your wildest dreams," she virtually  
purred  
as she yanked an arm up and then he found his wrist  
suddenly encased in a cuff and looked up to find it attached to a  
scarf that was tied to the bed post.  
It was short work for her to encase his other hand as he  
lacked the strength to fight. The pain was almost enough to make  
him want to pass out. Once his arms were bound she went to her  
bed  
side drawer and pulled out a roll of duct tape and used it  
first  
on his mouth.  
"You may not be able to talk but you can make sounds.. I  
wouldn't  
want the neighbours to get the wrong idea," Victoria  
said ripping  
off another piece with her teeth.  
The last thing he saw was her hand coming down with the  
tape, then she covered first one eye then the next with tape.  
"Benton  
liked this game. I just know you will too," she  
purred moving  
away again.  
=Oh no I won't=  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Back at the shelter, Lily did what Ray had asked her to do  
if he didn't return within an hour after leaving with Victoria.  
After  
coming up with a good excuse, she got the spare key from  
the boss  
lady and went to the locker that contained Ray's  
pitifully few personal effects and opened it. Finding a letter  
with  
her name on it she opened it, read it and her eyes widened,  
then  
she spun and bolted back to the office to snatch up the  
phone.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray had passed out during Victoria's "game" and when he came  
to his senses, he was lying on the bed, fully on the bed this  
time,  
his arms still bound, but the distance between them was no  
longer  
so great. He gave an experimental little tug and found the  
bindings  
just as taunt. He felt a warmth at his side, over his  
waist, and  
leg. He raised his head, blinking. He could see again,  
the tape was  
gone from his eyes. And what he saw was Victoria  
curled up at his  
side her hair spread over his chest, which she  
was using as her pillow,  
her arm was draped around his waist, and  
her leg was over his.  
=Great time for the sedative to work... Now I'm stuck.= he  
grouched to himself.  
He looked around and felt sick when he saw something he  
hadn't noticed earlier. There was a video camera in the room on a  
tripod and thinking about the angle he realised the damned bitch  
had taped the whole thing.  
=You are *sick, sick, sick= he raged.  
He tugged hard at his bindings. She didn't stir when it made  
the bed shake.  
=Hmmm.. O.k, so it's better late than never=  
She was worried about her neighbours hearing him so he'd  
give them an earful. He started fighting the bonds and slid his  
body  
around till his leg reached the edge and went over. He began  
stomping  
on the floor, hard. Between the stomping and the noise  
he was creating  
with the bed he soon got some attention.  
Someone bashed on the roof, possibly with a broom and yelled  
for them to keep it quiet. He thumped even harder. There was  
another thumping on the ceiling below and the person behind it  
threatened  
to call the police if they didn't quit it.  
Under his duct tap gag he gave an evil smile and did his  
best to drive the neighbour below into carrying out that threat.  
He almost had a heart attack when less than a few seconds later  
he  
heard the front door being kicked in. It was only a short time  
before  
the bedroom door was kicked open and two what he assumed  
were plain  
clothes police officers burst in guns at the ready.  
They looked around  
the room, and at the bed.  
His head came up and he looked at them, looking right at  
him. One holstered his gun and moved in on the left side while  
the  
other moved to the right and kept Ray covered.  
"Mhhhhmmmrrrghph."  
The weaponless one reached out and ripped the gag off of  
Ray's mouth and he screamed. The officer's hand went down fast  
over  
his mouth and tears ran down Ray's face.  
=God! Now *that* hurt=  
"Sorry, you have the right to remain silent," the detective  
said.  
"Goovrumph."  
The officer continued to read him his Miranda rights and  
showed him a badge, and only moved his hand when he finished.  
"Don't  
tell me that, tell her!"  
The two cops shared looks, then looked down at Ray.  
"We've been keeping her under surveillance, we know  
you're.."  
"You don't know anything," Ray cut him off.  
The second cop nudged Victoria but she didn't move.  
"She's sedated, I laced her chips with sedatives."  
They both looked at him.  
"I was getting sick of waiting for some action. I thought  
the  
damned thing would knock her out a lot faster than it did, so  
I could  
tie her up and call *you* people and tell you that I'd  
gifted wrapped  
a murderess for you."  
The cops shared looks again, then looked down at him, the  
second finally holstering his gun.  
"Alright, Mister, what's your name?"  
"Fiorella, George Fiorella."  
"Like that columnist in the .."  
"I am that bloody columnist!" Ray growled and yanked on a  
cuff.  
"And I'm the one who sent the Anonymous note to the CPD  
tipping them off about where they could find this bitch. Now  
would you *please* get me loose, this is killing me."  
"In a minute.. How did you know she was wanted by..."  
"Hey!  
I toured every state in this country, I'm famous for  
it, don't you  
know," he said snidely.  
"You want to be cut loose or what?"  
Ray took a deep breath and launched into the story he'd  
dreamed up to cover this moment.  
"Alright," he said calmer, "I was in Chicago, minding  
my own  
business, walking through the station, the train station,  
when  
someone grabbed my arm and yanked me into the men's toilet,  
clapped a hand over my mouth, and hissed that he was a cop at me.  
Then he flashed a badge, not that I really noticed, I was too  
busy  
gaping.. The guy looked just like me, only he had less hair,  
and  
was clean shaven."  
"Uh-hu."  
"He peeped out the crack in the door then told me to peek  
and  
take a good look at a woman."  
"The one in the bed right now?"  
"Yes."  
"Go on."  
"After she stomped out of the area he let me go and told me  
to get the hell out of Chicago - pronto, and if I ever saw her  
again  
to run for my life. Because she was a murderess who had  
already killed  
one person, and he suspected her of killing a  
second man, and figured he was next on her hit list."  
"Did he explain why?"  
"He said she framed a cop, that no body believed him, cause  
she was real sneaky like when she was with him.. Everyone thought  
he was lying to cover up his own crimes by inventing another  
person with opportunity and motive. But he saw her, with that  
cop,  
he knew she was real.. That the cop she framed hadn't made  
her up."  
"Uh-Hu.."  
"Then Chow Hound whined behind us and I saw him, and the cop  
looked at him, then me, and handed me his leash, told him to go  
with  
me, and asked me to please get him out of there, because  
that woman  
had already put a bullet in him once, and that he'd  
track me down  
to get him back after he put her away, if she  
didn't put him six feet under first. He gave me a card with a  
post  
office address said it was his told me to write with my  
address and he'd send me money to look after him.."  
"What was the address he gave you?"  
Ray pretended to wrack his memory and slowly gave it,  
correcting himself twice before he announced that he was sure  
that  
was it.  
"Alright, go on.." the detective said.  
"She followed me thinking I was him. I left the Chow Hound  
with  
a friend, cause I wasn't sure my landlord would let me have  
a dog,  
and went back to Brooklyn, but I saw her there, out on the  
street.  
Watching my apartment. I sent him a letter and turned my  
place into  
a mini fortress while I waited. He told me to get out  
of there..  
To find some way to get out, in disguise, and stay  
away until she  
gave up. I managed to give her the slip, went back  
to pick up Chow  
Hound and started travelling around pretending to  
be a blind man.  
When I got back I found another letter from him.  
Telling me that  
if he didn't contact me by a certain date, to  
take Chow Hound and  
release him in the wild cause he was a Wolf,  
and that's where he  
belonged.."  
"So.. you did that and .."  
"I ran in to some really wild life.. That's where I got the  
scars and ended.. up going broke paying for all the medical  
bills... I was at rock bottom, when I ran into her again."  
"And  
ended up at the shelter over at Hudson Street."  
Ray nodded as  
one of them found his pants and tossed them at  
him. He pulled them on grimacing in pain.  
"I let her think I couldn't talk.. I was kinda in shock when  
I first ran into her, and got to thinking, as long as she thinks  
I can't talk.. I'm safe... That lasted until today."  
"We've seen you.. Having lunch with her."  
"Ever see me talking with her?"  
They had to admit they hadn't.  
"She talked to me.. Thinking I was that cop.. Pretending to  
be such a good "friend" of his buddy.. She kept talking about  
Benton... I remember the first time I ran into her.. On the  
stairs, she told me she was a friend of Benton Fraser's.. Said,  
he  
told her about me - meaning him."  
They nodded and searched the room finding something to dress  
Victoria in before they cuffed her hands behind her back.  
"I remember that cop .. saying.. She framed Benton.. He was  
a cop... That's who she was talking about.. She killed him, and  
probably  
killed that cop too."  
"Do you remember his name?"  
"Ray Echo.. No..Vecko..or something like that."  
"Vecchio?"  
"That's it. How'd you know?"  
"The CPD sent us three pictures.. One of her, one of the man  
you were talking about, Benton Fraser, and the other was of a  
former  
Cop, Raymond Vecchio both he and Fraser vanished. And you  
do look  
a lot like him. If you scribble a beard on his picture.  
We told them  
we thought we had him in the net too.. They told us  
to wait and see  
if Fraser showed up or not. Then the word to stop  
waiting, kick the  
door in and take you down now."  
"Oh god... Do you know what the Media is going to do when  
they  
find out about this? You arrest me and ..."  
"Woah, hold on there... I always read Fiorella's column, so  
I'm going to give you a chance to prove you're who you say you  
are.  
If you are, we'll drop you back off at the shelter and the  
Media  
won't find out."  
Ray gave a little nod and the officer asked him dozens of  
questions about his column. Ray answered them all easily.  
"And I can even tell you what next weeks will be if you can  
tell me what this weeks one was.. I don't get to see the magazine  
any more. You can ring the magazine and ask them... No... On  
second thoughts, they'd want to know why the police want to know  
what next weeks column is about.. God.. I hate this.."  
"That's alright, Mr Fiorella, I believe you're who you say  
you  
are," The detective said, then handed Ray his note book and  
pen.  
"Could I get your autograph, my wife would kill me if I  
didn't, she loves your column."  
Ray rolled his eyes and autographed the note book the  
detective studied the signature and smiled giving his partner the  
nod.  
"That's his signature alright."  
Ray watched him flip the book closed without touching the  
cover and wished him luck at lifting his prints from it, seeing  
as  
how he'd only touched the edges of it.  
He rose on shaky legs and wobbled over to the video camera  
to rip out the cassette.  
"That's evidence."  
"Only if I press charges. And if she wiggles off the hook, I  
will and you'll get it back. If they take her down for killing  
that  
cop I'll burn it."  
"I'm afraid.."  
"You know, the media would love hearing about how you were  
sitting  
out there, probably gossiping in your car, watching this  
place, while  
she raped me and taped it for posterity.  
The two shared looks.  
"We'll be in touch."  
"You know where to find me.. I can't see my situation  
changing in a hurry," he said ripping Victoria's wardrobe open.  
He pulled out a pullover and an over coat and walked out,  
tucking the tape in the coat pocket before he pulled the pull  
over  
and coat on. The detectives watched him limping heavily and  
shared  
looks. One signalled the other who went after Ray.  
"I'll take you back to the shelter."  
Ray stopped and looked back.  
"I've been studying all sorts of things so I can become a  
crime  
writer, my brush with that cop set me off on that tangent..  
And I  
mightn't know all that much about the way things are done,  
but I  
know this much, Neither of you are women, one leaves, she  
wakes up  
and realises she's alone with him, she'll scream rape  
later and get  
let off on a technicality."  
The detective stopped and stared at Ray.  
"In fact she'd probably scream it any way, unless you get  
her  
out of here before she comes around, or you get a lady cop to  
watch  
her. It's one or the other or that cop killing bitch will  
get away  
with it."  
Then he spun and limped away leaving and they didn't try to  
stop or follow him. One moved to the window and watched the  
street till he limped down it.  
"What do you think?"  
"I think he's Fiorella, and I think he's probably damned  
lucky  
she didn't kill him."  
"Oh, come off it, what would a famous columnist like him be  
doing living in a homeless shelter."  
"You saw the scars, I believed him when he said he blew all  
his money paying his medical bills. Every cent he gets off his  
column  
is probably spent on them, it's a sure bet he's going to  
be spending  
a lot of time in and out of the hospital  
getting all those scars removed. Besides which, I think I saw  
him,  
a while back, had his face in pressure bandages, in a good  
suit,  
walked with a cane.. It wouldn't take much to find out if  
was the  
same man and back track him."  
"Where did you see him?"  
"At the Hayden Building, in the lobby talking to that Yuppie  
Architect I was tailing.. It wouldn't take much to run a check on  
the hospital's and see if he was a patient at any around that  
time  
\- and if their description matches, he's off the hook. And  
if not,  
we know where to find him."  
"If he's Vecchio, he'll just vanish."  
"I would have suggested he come down to the station and  
taken his prints if I hadn't been positive he was Fiorella. And I  
wasn't joking about my wife. If she heard I falsely arrested her  
favourite columnist she'd have my hide."  
"What's so great about him, so he travelled round the  
country, big deal, people do that all the time."  
"I'll loan you a copy of the first issue his column appeared  
in - then you can find out how it made him famous."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Lily pounced and fussed over Ray when he returned to the  
shelter. He asked if he'd done what he asked, which she  
confirmed, and he kissed her cheek.  
"You may have saved my life."  
"Why didn't you say anything!"  
"I just wanted to keep her from taking off.. Before they  
could  
move in and arrest her.. If she'd been the slightest bit  
suspicious  
she would have disappeared again."  
"She could have killed you."  
"She didn't, thanks to you calling the police like I asked  
you  
to in that message. I won't forget it."  
She looked him over.  
"You look terrible... You're wearing her coat.. What  
happened to your shoes..."  
Ray sighed.  
"I've already been interrogated once tonight, all I want now  
is a long soak in the bath before I go to bed.."  
She hustled him down the hall.  
"You realise that when the boss lady finds out about this,  
you  
are going to be in deep shit.."  
"I don't think the police are going to be coming around.  
Unless  
you tell her, she won't find out."  
"Tell me what happened."  
"Ah, black mail."  
"Call it whatever you like and tell me what happened."  
He opened the door to the bathroom and didn't stop her from  
following him in, then he closed the door. He spun and pressed  
her  
up against the door kissing her. She was startled but soon  
started  
kissing him back.  
He didn't break lip contact as he began stripping. They  
parted only for the time it took for him to rip Victoria's  
pullover off and hurl it away. The he was kissing her again,  
bringing her hands to his chest encouraging her to touch him. She  
broke the kiss off.  
"Not here."  
"Now.. Here.. I need it.. I need you to make love to me,  
in  
the worst way," he said as he went for her throat kissing  
every  
inch he could reach and tugging at her clothes.  
"George... If we were caught."  
"I don't care."  
"You should.."  
"Do you *want* me to stop? Not you think we should, or that  
you know we should.. Do you *want* me to stop?"  
"No.. But.."  
"No buts," he said and rapidly skimmed her top off to go for  
her bra next.  
She sighed and he nuzzled at her shoulders till he got it  
off while she pushed her skirt off and kicked off her shoes. He  
skimmed  
her panties down and then drew her with him into the  
shower and set it to a comfortable temperature.  
"Wash me."  
She got the soap and wash cloth and he leaned against the  
wall letting her soap him down from head to foot and turned when  
she told him too. Then she stepped close and hugged him, kissing  
the back of his neck.  
"You didn't tell her... That we were engaged.. Did you? To  
warn  
her off?" Ray asked.  
"You said there was nothing going on."  
"Did you tell her, yes or no?"  
"Yes."  
He heaved a deep sigh. He know understood the point of the  
video.  
"Do you remember.. How you offered to give me the money to  
go  
to Dean's place and get my things?"  
"Yes."  
"I told you.. I'd rather save it up myself.. It was because  
of that witch.. Because I couldn't leave town till I knew she'd  
been  
arrested.. Now... If the offer's still open I'll take it."  
"George..  
Look at me."  
He turned slowly.  
"Did you kill that woman?"  
He looked her dead in the eye.  
"No."  
"Did the police arrest her?"  
"Yes."  
"You're not in any trouble are you?"  
"I will be if I stay.. after she's extradited.. She'll start  
causing trouble. She'll lie through her teeth, no doubt about it,  
and there are people back there who would jump at any excuse to  
lock  
me away. But if I'm not here, when they come, trouble will  
be avoided.  
They wouldn't expect me to come back, or think she  
lied.. It'll take  
over a week and a half to get to Dean's place,  
by bus. Another week  
and a half to get back, time for everything  
to settled down.. And  
when I get back, I'll have my papers... And  
we can get a marriage  
licence.."  
"Then, you get the boss lady to give you the time off, and  
I'll  
get the tickets for you."  
"I can..."  
"I'm not sure if that's wise.. The police here probably  
won't like it, if they need you to testify or make a statement.  
They'd  
expect you to stay until everything's settled. No matter  
how long  
it takes. I they find out your buying bus tickets to get  
out of town,  
you won't."  
He sighed and nodded.  
"You're right... I should stay... But I ... *need* to get  
away...  
I'd like you to come with me."  
"There is no way the boss lady would approve of that."  
"Did you tell her we're engaged?"  
"I told you she wouldn't approve of that either. One or both  
of us would be out of a job if she found out."  
"So... What about us getting married?"  
"We don't have to tell her. Simple."  
"And you said you could support me till I got back on my  
feet."  
"Why George, are you only looking for a sugar Mama?"  
"Are  
you just looking for a sugar daddy.. Me Famous writer,  
me must be  
rich?"  
She swatted him.  
"You're not that George Fiorella. You wouldn't be homeless  
and  
out on the streets without a dime to your name if you were."  
He didn't tell her why he was and let her think what she  
liked. He'd already explained that, if she didn't believe it that  
was fine with him. It would be a big surprise for her later and  
it  
meant he didn't have to worry about her looking for a rich and  
famous  
man to latch onto either.  
"I'm just wondering why it has to be a big secret."  
"I've  
got money but it wouldn't last if I lost my job, and I  
like working  
with you. And she'd get grumpy if you weren't there  
when she needed  
a man around. That's the real reason she hired  
you - no men on the  
staff, and half the beds are reserved for  
men. No male staff, no  
men in the beds. That Victoria woman, she  
said you'd work for your  
keep, so the Boss Lady let you in and  
watched you and decided to  
give you a trial. You passed. And we  
could open the doors to men  
again... If she was going to fire  
anyone.. It would probably be me..  
In which case you my dear  
would have to take over all the work in the office *and* deal  
with  
the men when they come and size them up. Do you really want  
that  
to happen?"  
"Noooo."  
"I didn't think so."  
"I still don't understand why she would fire us over it."  
"Fraternization amongst the staff can lead to Fraternization  
among the residents, that's to be avoided at all costs. So if you  
fraternize, and you get caught, you lose your job. End of story."  
"Has she ..?"  
"4 people since I've been here. Instant dismissal. But look  
at the bright side."  
"What bright side?"  
"It adds some spice to your life."  
He gave a weak chuckle and kissed her.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Hey, Al!"  
Fraser stopped his grooming and looked over the back of his  
horse to watch Petersham bring his bike to a skidding stop by the  
corral fence.  
"You remember how you said you were looking for relatives."  
Fraser nodded.  
"I found one for you."  
Fraser almost laughed.  
"Don't tell me, let me guess, Dean."  
"What?"  
=Opps=  
"You don't mean Alexander?"  
"He's my cousin."  
"Well, guess what, you have another one," Petersham said and  
pulled a folded up paper from his bike jacket and hurled it at  
Fraser.  
Fraser snatched it out of the air.  
"Page 3."  
Fraser unfolded it and went to page three to see a picture  
of himself and when he started reading he didn't know wether to  
laugh  
or cry.  
"Seem's your Cuz got himself into a bit of a pickle."  
Fraser  
just nodded not trusting his voice at that moment  
after he finished reading he took a deep breath and looked up.  
"Do  
you mind if I.."  
"Keep it, no, I want the rest back. I haven't finished  
reading it."  
Fraser pulled the page out and refolded the paper and hurled  
it back at Petersham.  
"I hope they find him - alive."  
"Why?" Fraser asked.  
"Well, he's your family, isn't he? Family's important when  
you  
don't have any. Him and Dean are probably the only family you  
have.  
Though I don't know if I'd want Dean for family if you know  
what  
I mean."  
"No, I don't."  
"He's a faggot. A shirt chasing gay boy. Him and that writer  
were probably *real* cozy..."  
"If you're referring to Mr Fiorella, you're forgetting, he  
was  
almost killed by that bear."  
"So, he moved in with Dean after he got out of the  
hospital."  
"He couldn't even walk, Dean had to carry him around, wash  
and  
bath him, cook for him, shave him, dress and tend to his  
other needs."  
"And probably tended to his own *needs* while he was at it."  
"Have I ever told you, you have a mind like a sewer pit?"  
Petersham laughed and started his bike up again.  
"All the time, Al, and you wouldn't have me any other way,"  
he declared before he road off spitting gravel and dust in his  
wake.  
Fraser looked at the page he'd spread on the back of the  
horse.  
"Now... I don't really need to put up with you any more," he  
muttered to himself.  
He forget all about his partner as he read the article,  
blanching, feeling like he'd been slugged in the gut as he read  
about  
Victoria being charged with Ray's murder after they'd found  
his car  
a burned out wreck, with his remains inside burnt beyond  
recognition.  
He'd only been identified by his crucifix and the  
fact his wallet  
had been found near by, that and the fact he'd  
last been seen driving  
that particular car left them with no  
doubt the remains, what there were of them, were Ray's.  
He'd been cleared after Victoria was charged with Ray's  
murder, along with his own. Victoria confessed that she'd framed  
him and destroyed his life to make him come with her when she  
left  
Chicago. She'd taken a lie detector test to try and avoid  
the murder  
rap. She claimed to have seen Ray in another state not  
long before  
they arrested her, told them where they could find  
him. But an investigation  
proved it was simply a man who  
resembled him.  
It didn't negate the results of the polygraph test either,  
she'd been telling truth, as she knew it, Fraser had been cleared  
in the process and they were left with a mystery on their hands,  
if she hadn't murdered Ray, who had? Too much time had gone by  
for  
the murder site to yield any clues to the murderer's identity  
and  
it pained Fraser to think of Ray's murder becoming just  
another unsolved case in the CPD's files.  
He folded up the page and tucked it into his pocket to go on  
grooming his horse while his mind worked furiously. His name had  
been cleared, he could return home, well, to Chicago anyway.  
Ray's murder would not go unsolved if he could help it, but  
first, he had to make sure he didn't end up in prison for  
impersonating his cousin. That meant he had to plan carefully and  
he had an opening Ceremony to attend. It would look highly  
strange indeed if he left before that.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"And I declare this visitors centre open for business," The  
County's Beauty Queen breathlessly announced as she cut the  
ribbon then posed for the Cameras.  
Fraser almost laughed when he noticed Dean's was not the  
only camera that stayed down. Mz Ekles didn't even bother to snap  
a picture and muttered "Airhead," under her breath, but it  
was  
Dean's soft, "Amen," to that, that almost made Fraser  
laugh.  
Fraser backed up when she sashayed his way, with a predatory  
smile.  
"Why don't you show me around, Ranger."  
He was saved when Petersham moved in to gallantly offer her  
his arm.  
"Why it would be a pleasure, Miss."  
She gave him a glare but accepted it to avoid humilation and  
let him lead her inside. Mz Ekles and Dean both snickered.  
"Not your type?" Mr Ekles asked.  
"I prefer.. someone with a brain in their head."  
"Wouldn't we all."  
Fraser rejoined Dean and Mz Ekles.  
"I'd prefer to be shown around by the Architect," Mz Ekles  
declared.  
"I'm gay," Dean said.  
"So am I," she said with a sweet smile, surprising him.  
Fraser suddenly realised why his partner disliked her so  
much and chuckled to himself.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray stood in the phone booth watching buses arrive and  
depart while he waited for Lily to answer the phone at the  
shelter.  
"Hi, it's me George... Yes, yes, I made the connection, I  
haven't  
been mugged yet, and anyone stupid enough to try will get  
what those  
fools on the train got... No.. But I've been mugged  
three times,  
twice before I got the gun, I swore what happened  
the second time  
would never happen to me again... That's right..  
I do know how to  
use it.. No.. I'd go for a shoulder or a leg..  
Like I did on the  
train..."  
He checked his watch.  
"My next bus is due any minute, How's Sid.. Uh-hu.. Damn,  
tell  
him I'll send him a post card," Ray said and smiled at the  
response,  
"You betcha.. Oh, almost forget, you better keep a  
close eye  
on that guy who came in the day before I left... Oh..  
Damn.. It went  
right outta my head, I was going to tell you to  
keep an eye on him  
on the way out.. I didn't wanna say anything  
where someone might  
overhear, just in case I was wrong... Oh,  
there's my bus, it's the  
last one. I'll give you a call when I  
hit town to let you know I  
arrived safe."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray couldn't believe it when he couldn't find a single  
public telephone that was working. In one booth he raised the  
hand  
set to find the cord had been detached, in another the set  
was glued  
to its holder. And in another a synthetic laugh issued  
from the phone  
every time he raised it from the hook.  
He found the last phone booth and was reaching for the  
handset when he heard a voice.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
He froze for a moment and then stretched his hand out for  
it.  
"I really wouldn't do that."  
His hand touched it.  
"Pick it up and you'll regret it, sonny," the voice said.  
He dropped his hand and looked around and was surprised to  
find a little old lady watching him.  
"What's wrong with this phone?"  
"The last person who tried to use it got covered with ink..  
It just squirted out of the phone - the main part, not the hand  
set."  
"Oh.. What happened to all the phones around here? They all  
seem to have been vandalised or tampered with."  
"Well, there was a comedy festival on and some comedians  
travelling  
to it stopped over here.. After they left all the  
phones were like that.. You be the judge."  
"I see... Are there any public phones that haven't been  
done?"  
"Sorry, sonny, but they got all of them."  
"Great.. Just great.. I'm supposed to make a phone call and  
call a cab..."  
"I can't help with the phone call, don't have one myself,  
but  
I can help with the cab."  
"You can?"  
She nodded.  
"Great, I can make the call when I get to where I'm going."  
"Just keep going up this road, two blocks up, take a left,  
next  
block a right, half way up there's a bar. There's always a  
cab out  
the front of it."  
"Thanks."  
She pulled a magazine out of her bag and rustled up a pen  
with a hopeful look. He gave her a crooked smile.  
"Let me guess, you want an autograph."  
She nodded.  
"I always read your column."  
Ray found the page with his column and leaned it on the  
booth to sign it.  
"How'd you recognise me?"  
"I saw you the last time you came to town, heard 'bout that  
bear two.. Guess you grew that beard to hide the scars."  
He  
gave a little nod and handed her magazine and pen back.  
"You come back for your Wolf that the Ranger's been taking  
care  
of."  
"Among other things."  
"It's a beautiful animal, just beautiful.. Though it seems  
to  
be getting famous on its own, as the junk food phantom."  
Ray  
chuckled, bid her good day and walked away. She followed  
after him. To try convince him to come to meeting of her writers  
group while he was in town and followed him all the way to the  
bar  
and didn't give up till a cab pulled up and he quickly jumped  
in  
the back and told the driver to get him out of there.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray stomped around the studio while the driver of the cab  
he'd hired lit up another cigarette and checked his watch.  
"I can't wait all day, Mister."  
"Ha, the meter's ticking over, what are you complaining  
about?"  
"My wife'd kill me if I was back late for dinner and my  
shift ended half an hour ago. It's going to take me hours to get  
home."  
Ray stomped over and looked at the meter.  
"Shut that thing off."  
The man leaned in and shut it off and told Ray he had to pay  
double, because of the distance involved on the return trip,  
grumbling, Ray paid him.  
"Pleasure doing business with ya," the driver said, then  
climbed in and slammed his door.  
Ray stomped over to the house as the driver crunched the car  
into reverse spinning it around before speeding off. With a  
frustrated sigh Ray stomped away in the direction of the stable.  
If nothing else that would be open, and he wouldn't have to wait  
in the cold for Dean to return.  
He had a sinking feeling in his gut that he'd have to wait a  
long time when he found the stable was locked too. He returned to  
the house, walking around to the side of the rock formation and  
grimacing  
and hissing all the way, Ray climbed up the side of it  
to get onto  
the roof. From there he clambered over to the glass  
roof panels that  
made up the roof of the Gallery.  
He looked down into the room below and that sinking feeling  
became a certainty. The Gallery was empty.  
Ray clambered back to the rock and perched himself there and  
looked over the property to watch from his new vantage point as  
the  
Cab became a dust trailing speck in the distance.  
"How do I get myself into these things?" he muttered to  
himself.  
He might have spent some time up there stewing over it, but  
the sun was rapidly setting and he had to climb down before it  
was  
too dark to see. He didn't want to add a broken bone to his  
troubles.  
Blowing on his grazed hands he marched around the house, and  
tried to decide which it was going to be, the house or the  
stable. He decided to try the stable, since it also doubled as  
the  
Garage. Maybe he'd get lucky and find his ATV there.  
He shot the padlock off, glad he hadn't sold his gun when  
he'd gotten desperate, and pulled the door open. He sighed as the  
last of the day's light showed him the stable was completely  
empty. Not so much as a stray piece of hay to blow in the wind  
was  
left. It had been cleaned out.  
He'd hoped that if his ATV wasn't there, he'd at least be  
able to make a bed for the night out of the hay, but that wasn't  
to be.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser threw the last of his things into the back of  
George's ATV.  
"Well, that's the last of it Dief. Hop in."  
Dief jumped into the bag and made himself comfortable.  
Fraser closed the back door, moved around the vehicle and opened  
the driver's door. The door of the station that had been his home  
opened and his now ex-partner stepped out.  
"Al... Two things, Good luck at your new post, and swing  
past  
your cousin's place and check it out on your way out."  
"Why?"  
"That alarm he installed before he left just went off. Just  
got the call to send you over if you hadn't already left."  
"I'll check it out."  
"The Sheriff will be over soon's he can, but you'll get  
there long before he does."  
Fraser nodded and climbed into the ATV.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray huddled in front of the fire place wishing he'd had more  
time to find wood before the sun went down. He couldn't stay in  
the  
stable, or light a fire then and had blown off the lock on  
one of  
the house's doors. He cursed Dean for clearing the place  
out of everything  
but the furniture. It would have been bearable  
if he'd covered it  
with cloth dust covers but no, he'd covered it  
all with plastic and  
plastic sheets wouldn't keep him warm as the  
night temperature plummeted.  
He'd had to walk quite a distance  
from the house just to find something  
to start a fire with and  
all he'd had to show for his efforts was  
a coat full of twigs and  
it wasn't enough to warm up the big lounge.  
He wondered just how cold it could get and then banished the  
thought. He didn't want to know all he wanted was to get his  
hands around Dean's neck. No car, no food, no way to keep warm  
and  
no functioning electricity or phone either.  
He couldn't stay in this place, he'd have to do something  
that the very thought of doing terrified him, hike through the  
property  
and head for the nearest ranger station on the other  
side. It was  
either that or hike to town, and with his bum leg  
that could take  
days. He knew that if he pushed himself he could  
reach a ranger station  
before nightfall if he left at first  
light.  
He jumped, startled out of his thoughts by the sound of  
claws on the polished floor boards and spun around to see Dief  
bounding  
toward him. He grinned and held out his arms to embrace  
and stroke  
the Wolf as it expressed its happiness at seeing him  
again with a  
few licks.  
"Yeah, I'm happy to see you too, How did you get inside? I  
thought  
I.." He trailed off as he looked up at the door to see a  
figure  
standing in the door way.  
"Uh-oh... Please tell me you're the Ranger who was taking  
care  
of Chow Hound for me."  
The figure moved, crossing its arms and nodding.  
"I.. thought Dean came back here, I came back to get my  
stuff... I left it all behind... It took me a while to get enough  
money to come back to collect it."  
"You missed him, by about a day," Fraser said making no  
effort to disguise his voice.  
He watched Ray move, rearing back at his voice, then moved  
toward Ray, until the light of the pitiful fire let Ray see his  
face.  
He watched Ray's eyes widen, then look him up and down.  
"It  
is you, you really are Ray," Fraser said softly.  
"Ohmigod!  
Benton!"  
Fraser nodded.  
"I thought you were.."  
"Dead?"  
Ray nodded.  
"Yes, I thought that bitch, Victoria killed you."  
"Oh, she tried, she left me to die in the most sadistic way  
she could think of. But I survived and stumbled into a new  
identity by accident and made a new life for myself here."  
"I  
found her."  
"What??? You never even met her."  
"I remembered her voice... I met her and I sent a letter to  
the boys back in Chicago telling them where they could find her  
if  
they moved fast enough."  
"So you're the one behind that."  
Ray gave a crooked little smile.  
"It's rather ironic.. I hit rock bottom and she took me into  
her place, fed me, put me up for the night, and took me to the  
shelter  
where I found a place to stay and work.. It's not much of  
a job,  
but it's enough to keep me going."  
"Did she... visit?"  
"Quite a lot before she was arrested, took me out to lunch  
all  
the time."  
"What was your impression of her?"  
"I never trusted her an inch. I didn't expect to survive the  
night she took me in, but I did.. She gave me the creeps.. The  
way  
she.. watched me.. She always seemed to have this little  
smile on her face."  
"Then your instinct to report her served you well, she was  
probably  
planning something, which would end with either you in  
prison, or  
dead."  
"She's where she belongs now, Benton, behind bars, and  
she'll stay there for a very long time for murdering that Jolley  
guy."  
"I know. I read an article in the paper.."  
"Then you know.. Your name was cleared?"  
Fraser nodded.  
"I was.. going to return home, to Canada, and go via  
Chicago, to see your family. You should come with me."  
Ray shook his head violently, winced and rubbed his throat.  
"No."  
"Your family.."  
"I can't go back."  
"Why not?"  
"I... Faked my death, Benton, I took out a big insurance  
policy,  
set everything up so.. "  
"There would be enough money to pay out the mortgage you  
took  
out to get the money to fund your new life as George  
Fiorella."  
Ray nodded.  
"How did you do it?"  
"Oh, I found out all sorts of interesting things when my  
mother  
forced me to return to the station and try to live his  
life. Like  
where I could find someone who specialised in helping  
crims set up  
new identities.. He set up my new one."  
"He must have been quite good. Your background story checks  
out."  
"George Fiorella really did exist. I put an identicat  
picture of me thought the computer and came up with half a dozen  
people who look just like me. Only one of em was a dead guy,  
George Fiorella from Brooklyn, my specialist went to New York and  
erased the death records... He got me everything I needed to take  
over his identity... I ran a check later and it all panned out,  
he  
even found some way to substitute my finger prints for  
Fiorella's in the records. That guy was the best in the  
business."  
"And your death, how did you fake that? Or did you leave it  
up to him?"  
"Noo.. Though it was part of the deal.. He was mugged and  
killed  
just after he returned from New York. A little later I had  
a stroke  
of luck I found the burned out shell of a car like mine  
in a car  
graveyard and there was this derelict who died of  
natural causes there."  
"You used his body."  
Ray nodded.  
"And I set everything up perfectly, made it look like I'd  
been  
forced to drive there and killed... Switched plates and  
everything.. Before I torched it again. So the body'd be  
unrecognizable.. I even made sure he was wearing that cross my  
mother  
made me wear."  
=So that's how he did it, well it saves me a lot of wasted  
time searching for a non existent murderer... Though now I've  
contacted  
them I'll have to go through with my plans for the sake  
of it.=  
"I burned all my bridges behind me when I left."  
"Why did you have to do that? Why couldn't you have just  
disappeared..."  
"I regret it now, I really do.. But at the time... I was  
desperate,  
I had to escape. I didn't want them trying to find me  
and I... didn't  
want cost them their home in the process. That's  
why I took out the  
insurance policy and made it look like...  
murder. They don't pay out if it's suicide."  
Fraser sighed and watched the fire behind Ray start to die.  
"I'll get some more wood, don't go anywhere."  
"I'd prefer a lift back into town, I got enough money for a  
motel room... I'll head back to..."  
"You're not going anywhere," Fraser cut in.  
"I got a job it's not much of a job, it doesn't pay much but  
it's the only job.."  
"Forget about it, Victoria knew who you were and where you  
went,  
she could blow everything if they try to pin your death on  
her. So  
you're staying right here. Is that clear?"  
Ray slowly nodded.  
"Stay put. I'll be back with enough wood to keep the fire  
going  
all night."  
"I.. don't suppose you could come up with a blanket or two..  
and some food, Dean cleaned the place out, all he left was some  
of  
the furniture."  
"I'll be right back."  
Fraser walked out and was rewarded with a smile when he  
returned to present Ray with a patchwork quilt, several blankets  
and a sleeping bag.  
"You're a life saver.. I thought I'd freeze to death here."  
"That was a possibility the temperature can drop quite  
sharply at night at this time of the year, I was told they expect  
it to start snowing any day now," Fraser said squatting down to  
make a bed before the dying fire with the things.  
"Now, you curl up here."  
Ray didn't have to be told twice. Fraser gave Dief the  
signal and he crawled under the blankets Fraser held up and  
snuggled up next to Ray. Fraser tucked them around Ray and the  
wolf,  
making sure there was an air space for Dief.  
"There, that should keep you warm enough till I get back."  
"Food?"  
"When I get back," Fraser promised and walked off.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray could live with an empty stomach, the warmth and company  
of the wolf he'd gotten used too and missed were enough to send  
him  
to sleep. He was sleeping with a crooked little smile on his  
face  
when Fraser returned.  
Fraser quietly got the first started again, first with twigs  
adding more and more till it was roaring away, then adding thick  
dead branches he'd found and broken up. He piled enough wood on  
to  
keep the fire going for a few hours and left Ray sleeping to  
go out  
and scout for more. He chose to search for it along the  
road way,  
taking the ATV out beyond the property's boundary.  
He scouted around with his torch, rugged up in the coat he'd  
brought for the cold season, and filled the back seat with wood,  
both of the twig and semi log variety. Some of it was chilly and  
slightly damp, but if set before the fire he'd got started, it  
would  
dry out before it was tossed on to keep it going.  
The wood pile started tumbling to the floor and built up to  
the level of the seat and Fraser emptied a bag out and went  
hunting for pine needles and scented leaves. He filled the bag  
and  
emptied another filling it too before the Sheriff's ATV came  
slowed  
to a crawl and stopped by the ATV. Fraser returned with an  
armful  
of pine cones that he tossed in the back under the  
Sheriff's curious eye.  
"Whatcha doing?"  
"Gathering fire supplies. Before the snow sets in."  
"A  
fine idea, but I'm kind of curious about why? Weren't you  
supposed  
to be heading out?"  
"I was.. I found out who set off the alarm at Dean's place."  
"So it was a break in and not just some animal."  
"It was someone with a legitimate reason to be there."  
"That'd be Fiorella, Meghan told me she saw him in town."  
"You know about him."  
"It's my business to know these things. That's his Vehicle  
you've  
got there."  
Fraser looked at it in surprise.  
"It is???"  
"Dean's just like his mother. Doesn't own a car, he prefers  
a horse."  
"I've seen him driving a car.. He.."  
"When he needs to go a fair distance he just calls the hire  
company, they send one out, and he drives the rep back."  
"Oh."  
"He started driving that around after that bear decided to  
say  
Howdy to Fiorella and it was re-registered laugh month... In  
Fiorella's  
name, even if Dean paid for it. In the eyes of the law  
the ATV still  
belongs to Fiorella."  
"I was going to meet Dean in the city, leave it with him and  
continue on by plane."  
"Why don't you just drive on back, and I'll follow you in.  
You  
off load and I'll drive you into town. Meghan will find  
someone who can take you out to the airport in the morning."  
"Thank's for the offer, but he's tired out and sleeping. I  
was  
planning to stay the night and take care of him. Dean took  
everything  
when he left, including his belongings.. So I might as  
well continue  
my journey with him and see if I can get him and my  
cousin to patch  
things up."  
"Ah, well.. Sounds sensible to me. But I'm also thinking  
it's  
a waste of time trying to get them to patch up. I know what  
Dean  
thinks, but he's wrong."  
"About what?"  
"What Fiorella came back for, and it wasn't to shack up with  
him. It was that wolf you adopted.. He came to set it free in the  
wild."  
"How do you know that?"  
"Told me so himself.. When I helped him change a flat he got  
on that same stretch of road I found you on. That was before the  
bear got him."  
"Oh."  
"My guess is he only stayed as long as he did cause he ain't  
got no folks, and no one to take care of him when he needed  
someone to do it. Dean was ready, willing and able and what  
happens? Soon's he's able, Fiorella goes and walks on Dean, and I  
don't rightly blame him."  
"Oh??? Why?"  
"Well, Dean's got a roving eye that's why, he even had a  
picture  
of you buck naked in his gallery."  
Fraser's eyes widened.  
"What?!"  
"Bathing in the river. Now I ain't gay so I can't say for a  
certainty how things work for people who are, but if it was me, I  
wouldn't put up with it. And after what that bear did to  
Fiorella.. Well, it's a sure thing he doesn't have what it takes  
to keep Dean's eyes from wandering. And when the eyes wander, the  
rest soon follows. I'd say the only reason Fiorella came back was  
because he was looking for the things he left behind. Like his  
ATV."  
"Well... You're probably right, but the least I can do is  
help  
him get his things back."  
"You do that," the sheriff said and started back for his  
car.  
"And drop by on your way out.. Meghan's got a little going  
away  
present for you."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray woke slowly, cosy, warm and very comfortable. He peeked  
under the blankets and found a wolf on one side and Fraser on the  
other. Then something else registered, Fraser had an erection  
that  
was throbbing against his thigh and it registered because  
Fraser  
was making little movements in his sleep.  
Ray flushed imagining Fraser was thinking about that woman,  
Victoria, dreaming about her. He remembered the things she'd done  
to him before he'd passed out and shuddered. Fraser made a little  
murmur and shifted. The next thing Ray knew Fraser's hands were  
roaming  
and he was being nuzzled. That was nice.  
Dief moved away when Fraser's roaming hands started to strip  
him and Ray rolled onto his back. Fraser followed and his mouth  
followed  
the path his hands took.  
His body arched, hands clawing at the sleeping bag that was  
their mattress, as Fraser's mouth closed over his sex and first  
one  
then two fingers slipped inside him to find then stimulate  
that special  
place inside. He babbled with pleasure, and cried  
out in ecstasy  
as Fraser brought him to orgasm.  
Then while he was still blissed out, Fraser slid up his body  
to ravish his throat. Ray's cry echoed through the house when  
Fraser  
hot sex impaled him, hard and passionately as his body  
moved over  
and inside him, following his instincts, to bury  
himself inside his lover.  
Tear's rolled down Ray's face as Fraser followed his  
instincts, and the mouth ravishing his throat moved to an ear to  
growl words of love so passionately in it before returning to its  
previous activities.  
Ray's hand's flew to Fraser's back, his short nails raking  
it, as Fraser's hands moved making him change position again and  
again. Ray arched and cried out as Fraser found the right  
position to thrust so hard and deep that Ray thought they'd be  
joined  
together for the rest of the lives.  
He felt a frisson of pleasure as Fraser moved against him  
then he was thrusting back against him, three times before he  
shuddered  
over him, his teeth sinking hard into his skin as he  
spilled his  
seed deep within Ray.  
Then he rolled away and lay panting, an arm over Ray,  
snuggling up to his side, to murmur words of love in his ear  
before he slipped back into a deep satiated sleep with a smile on  
his face.  
Ray stared at the ceiling not moving till he was sure Fraser  
wouldn't rouse then he slipped free and gathered up his clothes  
and  
limped away.  
  
  
  
Fraser wasn't all that surprised to wake up alone and went  
in search of the bathroom. He was expecting a cold shower and  
surprised  
when he got a warm one. After he'd cleaned up he looked  
through the  
house, but it wasn't till he stepped out that he  
found Ray.  
Ray was leaning against the side of the house, wearing  
Fraser's winter coat, watching Dief chase a butterfly around. Ray  
glanced around Fraser as approached.  
"Sleep well?" Ray asked.  
"I had... pleasant dreams."  
=I bet=  
"I wish I'd found out you were who you reminded me of before  
Victoria was arrested.. I would have stayed here... I... Want to  
stay... But.. I've already made contact with people... I read  
about  
your "murder" and.. they're expecting me to return and help  
them find your killer," Fraser said in a faintly apologetic tone.  
Ray gave a snicker at that.  
"They'll think it strange if I don't.." Fraser continued.  
Ray nodded.  
"I can't stay here, they can't find out I took my cousin's  
place."  
"You took your cousin's place?!" blurted the surprised Ray.  
"He.. died.. everyone here was expecting him, and I looked  
so much like his picture that they thought I was my cousin. I  
took  
advantage of it and used his identity. I thought long and  
hard about  
taking my own identity back.. Before I made the first  
steps.. If  
you'd returned before I took those steps, I wouldn't  
have given up  
his identity, I would have kept it to remain with  
you."  
"Can't be helped."  
"I will come back, R... George. But I'll come back as Benton  
Fraser, not Allen Pinset.. And.. It will take time.. There's so  
much  
I have to do.."  
"Why come back?"  
Fraser looked down then around at Dief.  
"I won't be here."  
"You have too.."  
"Stay... No I don't. I have a fiancee back in the big  
smoke.. I'm going to get married... Maybe even... Start a  
family."  
=Fiancee!=  
"You need to stay here for a time R... George. Victoria told  
them she saw you *alive*. Before she was arrested."  
"I expected as much.. She probably told them where to go,  
but  
the people there know me as George Fiorella. Not Ray."  
"If  
you did *anything* at all that convinced her otherwise  
of that she  
will keep insisting that it's you. They may send  
someone who knows you well out to watch you - thinking you were  
aware  
of the similarities and told people you're Fiorella.. You  
have to  
stay here, give me time to... find a way to undo the  
damage .. one way or another."  
"I don't have enough money too.."  
"I will talk to Dean and..."  
"No!"  
Fraser's hands touched him  
"George, just hear me out.."  
"All I want out of him is my stuff back."  
"George... Listen to me..."  
"No, you listen to me, the man is a liar, he'd say anything,  
do anything, take advantage of anything that would get him what  
he  
wants."  
"As far as he's concerned Ray, when you left that hospital,  
you left him, he asked me to help find you... So he could return  
your things. He's worried about you. He knows you have no money.  
Everything you own you left behind... He will give me your  
things, I can get money.."  
"I don't want his money."  
"I have money - me Benton Fraser.. It's not much but it will  
keep you going while I try to sort this mess out, don't," he  
touched Ray's lips to stop him rejecting the offer, "object.  
Victoria has put your new identity in danger.. Unless I can sort  
the mess out it could be blown and you could be charged with  
insurance fraud at the very least, and possibly murder."  
Ray  
shivered.  
"Stay here.. Please, give me time."  
Ray looked around at Dief again.  
"Stay... I'll contact Dean for you and make all the  
arrangements so that you can stay here... Don't worry, Dean has  
moved  
back to the city he won't come back... You won't have to  
worry about  
him returning. He'll be happy knowing your safe and  
well, while he  
works on the project he returned to the city to  
work on. Trust me..  
"  
"I don't trust him."  
"Why?"  
"He's a liar."  
"What makes you think that.."  
"He lied to me at the hospital.. here.. Said he retired he  
didn't."  
"Because he was sacked for being Gay."  
"You know?!"  
"He told me about it.. It happened after he and his lover  
were  
attacked. His partner didn't survive.. He almost didn't."  
"I  
know that much is true."  
"Did he tell you that he was taken back in by his old firm."  
Ray nodded.  
"It was a lie."  
"No it's not. I've seen Mr Anderson, they need Dean, and he  
needs them to achieve a goal he never thought he'd be able to do.  
They built the new visitors centre at the park after the old one  
burned down. He returned to build an art museum, after the Judges  
of a competition for its contract came to see the centre and  
virtually awarded it the contract to him on the spot."  
"What?!"  
"He was over the moon about it. The only real rival they had  
was a firm called.."  
"Casim & Associates?"  
"Yes how did.."  
"I met one of them.. He thought I was someone else, told me  
Dean.."  
"Was nothing but an interior decorator."  
"Yes."  
"That he wasn't an architect.. Dean told me he worked for  
them  
for a time. After he lost his place at Anderson's firm. They  
*used*  
him to snatch a contract from that firm, and sacked him  
once he'd  
served his purpose, they savaged his work, degenerated  
it and him.  
That's why he returned.. He felt his career was over,  
finished, that  
everyone felt the same way."  
"He wasn't.. lying.. He really does have a job with  
Anderson..?"  
Fraser nodded.  
"And he is a respected Architect.. I talked to Anderson  
without Dean around.. He said Dean was one of the most talented  
architects  
he'd ever worked with, probably *The Most Talented*.  
He's changed  
his views.. He had too.. He found out his own son is  
Gay and had  
to come to terms with it. If he'd known where Dean  
was, he would  
have come to ask him to return before now. He's  
glad he found him..  
He wants to retire.. He could bail out now  
and let the firm collapse.  
But he wants to save it and pass it  
on... And the person he wants  
to hand the reigns over to is  
Dean."  
"Why not his son?"  
"He died.. Of Aids. A year ago."  
"Oh."  
"Anderson has no one to leave it to when he retires. He  
doesn't want to let what he spent a life time building just die  
with  
a whimper.. Thanks to the efforts of that firm who savaged  
Dean's  
work."  
"Why did Dean go back if Anderson sacked him for being Gay?"  
"Anderson never degenerated his work, and he can respect him  
and he wants revenge.. Getting that contract building the best  
damned  
Art Museum ever built will be his revenge, show all the  
people who  
degenerated his work and called him an Interior  
Decorator how wrong they were. He wants to put Casim & Associates  
in their place. And he can do it."  
"Makes sense to me."  
"That architect you talked to was the liar.. Not Dean."  
"There were.. other reasons.. I left.."  
"What?"  
Ray sighed.  
"You wouldn't understand."  
"Why not?"  
"Because your straight."  
=Victoria put me off women, for life.=  
"I thought I was.. once. Now I'm not sure what I am. Maybe  
I'm  
Bi.. Maybe I'm Gay.. I don't know. I know.. The idea of  
having a male lover isn't totally repungent to me."  
Ray's eyes widened then narrowed with suspicion.  
"Did you and Dean..."  
"Nooo.. Well yes and no."  
Ray glared at him.  
"He kissed me once, when he was excited."  
Ray rolled his eyes.  
"I liked it... And.. I talked to him... About my...  
sexuality... And... he preformed an experiment with me...  
Blindfold me... Told me to think about the person I thought I was  
in love with."  
"It wasn't him."  
"No... It was another man."  
"And.."  
"The end result of the experiment was that he said I was  
either  
Gay and hadn't worked it out, or Bi."  
"Did you like.. what he did with you?"  
Fraser nodded.  
=And you were his lover.. I'd like it a lot more with you.=  
"Did you have sex?"  
Fraser stared at him for a few moments.  
"Do you even know what sex is? He told me.."  
"I've had sex with my Fiancee. I know what it is."  
"Oh."  
"Sooo.. Did you have sex with him?"  
Fraser blushed.  
"You did."  
With a little sigh, Fraser nodded.  
"Did it hurt?"  
Fraser stared at him.  
"When he.. you know.."  
"Why George... Are you asking because you're having second  
thoughts?"  
Ray's cheeks turned pink.  
"No... My Fiancee's good in bed. I'm just curious, Dean  
would never do it with me."  
"He didn't do it to me either.. He's highly well endowed.."  
"Uh-hu... So he let you do it to him.."  
Fraser blushed again.  
"I was.. Rather deep in my fantasy... And he *is* as you  
know..  
an incredible lover."  
Ray smirked.  
"Pushed every button you had."  
"Yes.. Including a few I didn't know I had."  
Ray chuckled at that.  
"He's good at that.. You know.. if things don't work out for  
you with this guy... when you go back... You could do worse than  
Dean."  
"No. Dean made it clear it was a once off event. Before and  
after."  
"Oh.. Well.. I'm sure if you courted him."  
"It wouldn't make a difference.. We were both thinking of  
another  
man while were with each other."  
=The same one=  
"Oh.."  
"And you can guess who he was thinking of."  
"Yeah, the old pre-bear attack me."  
Fraser decided not to waste his breath trying to convince  
Ray otherwise. He had a fiancee after all.  
"You were wrong about him once, maybe you were wrong about  
that  
too.. I do know that he loves you, and probably always will.  
And  
he would want you to be happy... If your fiancee makes you  
happy  
he will be happy for you... And if I ask.. He will help  
keep you  
safe till I can sort things out. So please... Stay and  
give me a  
chance to do that."  
Ray nodded.  
"I'll leave Dief here, with you... He's at home here and  
he'll  
protect you."  
"I know he will."  
"I'll leave the blankets, you'll need wood and food to keep  
you going till I can get things arranged for you.. I'll go into  
town,  
and bring you some food back.. And all the wood I can  
collect on my way back."  
"It took forever to get that fire started last night rubbing  
twigs together. Do you think you can get some matches and fire  
starters  
too.."  
Fraser nodded.  
"I'll see if I can get the electricity and phone reconnected  
too. You apparently have hot water."  
"Solar panels, up on roof."  
"Ah."  
"It's a long way to town."  
Fraser gave a little nod and Ray pulled out a small pile of  
bills.  
"Here.. Get me some clothes too, Something more.. suitable  
for  
the weather."  
Fraser looked at the money calculating how much was there  
and tucked it into his pocket with a nod.  
"You can keep that coat, I'll get myself another one,"  
Fraser said before he turned and walked away.  
Ray resumed watching Dief chasing his butterfly until the  
ATV was just a speck in the distance. Then he returned indoors  
and  
threw the quilt and blankets aside to pick up the sleeping  
bag and  
carry it to the bathroom to scrub it clean before he  
filled the bath with boiling water and let it soak till it  
cooled.  
After he wrung the bag out he hung it over the rail over the  
fire place to dry and walked out taking a blanket with him. Back  
and forth into the grounds he went collecting every twig worth  
tossing  
on a fire he could find. He filled one of the wood bins  
at the side  
of the house with those, and listened to his stomach  
growl.  
He went to the garden and investigated it. Finding a less  
than appetizing bunch of carrots but he was so hungry he didn't  
care  
and took them back to the house to wash them and warm  
himself in front of the fire while he devoured them.  
When his belly stopped growling he returned to the outside  
world, recovering the blanket and went hunting for pine cones and  
large patches of dry fallen needles. He filled the second wood  
bin  
with those before he went hunting again, this time without  
the blanket.  
It was tiring work, dragging home the biggest fallen  
branches he  
could find, painful too. Especially when he had to  
stomp on thick  
branches to break them up before they went into  
the wood box, it  
jarred his leg and sent pain shooting up it but  
he didn't stop till  
he had all six boxes filled.  
Though it was the last thing he felt like, Ray laughed when  
he walked inside and found Dief curled up on the blankets and a  
dead  
rabbit lying on the fire lintel.  
"Is this for me?" He asked picking it up by the ears and  
pointing to him self.  
Dief gave a little bark and Ray stretched out to ruffle his  
fur.  
"It's a lovely thought Dief, but I can't do anything with  
it.  
I don't have a knife to skin it with. You can have it for  
your own  
dinner. Though I suppose you found plenty out there to  
fill your  
belly with before you brought this one back for me."  
He carried  
it off to the kitchen then returned to shoo Dief  
off the blankets and carried them off to his bedroom to make the  
bed. The sleeping bag he pulled off the rail and rolled up  
leaving it by the door. Then he dragged the couch as close as he  
dared to the fire, tossed some more wood on and stretched out on  
the couch.  
Once he was settled Dief jumped up and curled up beside him  
and got a pat before Ray let himself drift off to have a well  
deserved  
nap.  
He was sleeping when Fraser returned and didn't wake as  
Fraser crept through the house. Food was left in the kitchen  
along with a few basic essential items. He saw the rabbit and  
saved  
Ray the trouble of dealing with by skinning and gutting it  
over the  
sink, then he went to work turning half of it into a  
stew and the  
other half went into the dish he'd brought for Dief.  
He left it on  
the bench where Ray would find it and then  
returned to the ATV to deal with the rest of his purchases.  
Towels, soap and shampoo were left in the bathroom along with a  
liquid  
detergent and fabric softener as he knew Ray liked his  
towels soft  
and fluffy. He dropped another quilt on the bed along  
with some pillows  
and sheets preferring not to spend a second  
more in the room than  
he had too. It gave him idea's about making  
love to Ray who'd had  
already made it clear that he wasn't  
willing to indulge himself again.  
He returned to the ATV to collect his going away present and  
last bag. Those he left in the lounge for Ray to find along with  
a box he left by the door when he collected his sleeping bag.  
He  
discovered how Ray had kept himself busy when he went to  
the wood boxes and smiled to himself. It would mean another trip  
to the house, but he wasn't complaining. He took the ATV around  
to  
the stable and backed it and the trailer he'd hired to fill  
with  
a load of wood into the stable. He stacked the wood where it  
was  
least likely to get wet and saved a few armfuls for the  
house.  
He returned to the house one last time to stack the wood by  
the fire place and left a note where Ray would find it, letting  
him  
know where the wood was and his rifle by the door with  
ammunition. Dief watched him moving about and Fraser stopped by  
the  
couch to give him a pet.  
"Take good care of him Dief," he said softly.  
The wolf gave a little whine.  
"I'll be back.. when it's safe."  
Then he leaned over Ray to press a kiss to his brow.  
"Stay out of trouble," he said softly in Ray's ear.  
Ray  
flipped over and snuggled down with an incoherent mumble  
that Fraser could only understand part of, "I'm not a baby any  
more."  
He gave a faint smile and stroked Ray's hair before taking a  
deep breath and striding out, locking the door behind himself and  
driving away.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray was glad to find Fraser had come and gone while he'd  
slept. He'd been dreading facing him again. He felt a little  
guilty when he saw everything Fraser had brought back for him. He  
packed away the food that would last him a month if he could  
supplement his diet off the land. Fraser had even thought of  
supplying the sort of knives he'd need to skin and dress any game  
he caught.  
He discovered the Fraser had taken care of the rabbit and  
how and felt another stab of guilt, but his rumbling stomach  
didn't care so he carried the pot over to the fire place. He left  
it on the mantle and went out to find some large rocks that he  
used  
to ring the embers and set the pot on it balancing it  
carefully.  
Dief watched it all from the couch and hoped he'd get some.  
He decided to make do with the bowl of rabbit bits Ray set down  
for  
him instead.  
"I'm going to have to learn to do that for myself if you  
keep  
bringing Rabbits back. Hello.. What's that?"  
He wandered away to find Meghan's good bye present, one of  
her hand crafted rugs. He dragged the couch back and rolled the  
rug  
out a safe distance from the fire. Then he went back to  
explore the bag and found clothes, three pairs of thermal  
underwear, gloves, pairs of thick socks, two beanies, a  
balaclava, several of Fraser's favourite kind of undershirt, four  
thick flannel shirts, three fleecy lined sweat suits two pairs of  
jeans at least a size too big, two belts, half a dozen big chunky  
knit pull overs and what was probably the most expensive items of  
all a pair of knee high sheep skin boots and a sheep skin lined  
coat,  
an over coat to be exact.  
Ray's guilt levels rose. They rose a notch higher when he  
spied the box and found a first kid, with everything he could  
possibly  
need, stationary including writing pads and pencils.  
There was also  
half a dozen puzzle books, with a post note  
saying, to pass the time, and the very latest novels from his  
favourite  
thriller and crime writers. At the very bottom of the  
box he even  
found a box of chocolates and half a dozen blocks of  
chocolate under  
that.  
Ray ripped the cellophane off the box and opened it. Dief  
was at his ankles in a flash looking up hopefully. Ray gave him a  
teasing smile and popped one in his mouth savouring it. It had  
been  
a long time since he'd been able to indulge his sweet tooth.  
Dief  
gave the same impression, pawing his leg and giving a little  
whine.  
Ray finally dropped one down for him.  
"There you go."  
Dief gobbled it up and looked up again hopefully to watch  
Ray close the box and cover it with the blocks from the box. His  
little eyes gleamed, he knew a chocolate block when he saw it. He  
followed Ray through the house and thought uncharitable thoughts  
when he saw Ray store them somewhere high out of his reach.  
"A piece a day, and no more, you chow hound."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
It started snowing two days after Fraser left and Dief  
stayed indoors keeping Ray company. More than once he woke Ray up  
from his dreams. For which Ray was glad. They were horrible  
dreams of people fighting over him, his mother, his fiancee,  
Dean  
and Fraser. And Victoria, laughing at him, announcing she  
had a little  
game to play. Those were the worst dreams.  
A week and a half after Fraser left, the electricity was  
restored. The next day, the phone rang. He debated wether to  
answer it, then working on the assumption it was Fraser answered  
it. It was Fraser.  
"George.. It's me."  
"Thanks.. I was starting to wonder if the electricity would  
ever be restored."  
"I had to talk to Dean about that. He told me he took care  
of  
it yesterday. I said I'd bring your things back, but.. Dean  
is sending  
more. A truck will arrive in about a week and a half..  
The sheriff  
will come out with the removalists."  
"He knows I'm here."  
"Dean told him. It's probably better if he knows."  
"I suppose.. But it kind of defeats the purpose of hiding  
out."  
"He'll bring food and supplies when he comes, Dean's  
arranging everything."  
"Then he's definitely o.k with it."  
"Oh, yes, he's glad to have someone there. He didn't feel  
secure  
about leaving the place unoccupied while he was away. He  
said the  
last time he was away for an extended period, a tourist  
who stumbled  
on to it broke in and carried off quite a few  
things. He got it back when the man tried to sell some of the art  
he stole."  
Ray gave an evil snicker.  
"I bet."  
"Are you warm enough?"  
"I've got plenty of wood, and the fire place warms up the  
whole  
house."  
"Is Dief.."  
"He's fine, he's come inside now it's started snowing. He  
keeps  
me company and lounges in front of the fire all day."  
"He  
loves the snow, he must be doing it to keep an eye on  
you."  
"It's because it's freezing out there and nice and warm in  
here,  
that's what it is."  
There was a beep on the line.  
"That was the last of my coins.. Ray tell me where to find  
your  
Fiancee.. I'll talk to her and.."  
"I'll ring her now the phones working again."  
"No.. No one here can know where you are.. Dean can be  
trusted."  
"I trust her."  
"Did you tell her who you are?"  
"Yes but she never believed me and... I never went out of my  
way to prove it."  
"Then you didn't trust her enough. Now please, tell me where  
to find her and I'll talk to her."  
"How do you know Dean can be trusted?"  
"I told him who I was and why I became Allen. That's how  
much  
I trust him. I explained the woman responsible has put you  
into danger..  
He will not say anything to anyone."  
"He told the sheriff."  
"The Sheriff is his step brother."  
"What?!"  
"Apparently his father married Dean's mother when Dean was  
ten,  
and the Sheriff was 13. From that point on they were raised  
together  
till Dean was 16. His brother used to watch out for him  
and take  
care of anyone who tried to beat up on his brother.  
He'll take care of you too, because Dean told him too."  
"Oh-kay."  
"Now, his Aunt will arrive some time with Dean's horse,  
she's had it since he left. She'll bring everything it needs and  
show you how to take care of it. It'll give you something to do."  
"Uh-hu."  
"And give you transport if you just want to get out."  
"I  
can't ride a horse."  
"There's nothing to it.. You'll get the hang of it soon  
enough.. Ask her to give you a lesson or two before the snow  
really sets in. She's a horse breeder she knows all about  
training people to ride."  
"If you say so."  
"Now.. Tell me about your Fiancee."  
Ray did, warning Fraser not to let anyone else know or it  
could cost her, her job. He also asked him to clear things up so  
he still had one when he returned. Fraser promised to do so.  
"Oh.. I almost forget. You might get a visit occasionally  
from  
a ranger, my old partner, I talked to him, as Allen Pinset  
and told  
him to keep an eye on you because you're a friend of the  
Cousin he  
helped me find. I'm setting things up so I can return."  
"Gotcha."  
"He's a bit of a loud mouth, with a mouth like a sewer pit,  
but you have similar tastes in reading matter. I think you'll get  
along.. Oh, he's straight, very straight.. Dean said I should  
mention  
that."  
"Thanks."  
"He'll probably be a little..."  
The dial tone cut in and Ray sighed. Benton would run out of  
coins before he finished. He hung up and returned to the fire to  
throw a little more wood on. If it was important Benton would  
ring  
back when he had more change.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Well?" Dean asked as he let Fraser in.  
"I got her name and details out of him," Fraser said handing  
over a sheet of paper.  
"I visited her work place to get more details. I tried to  
talk  
to her employer, but she'd left. Apparently she had a family  
emergency  
to attend so I couldn't ask her about the woman, or...  
help George  
keep his job."  
"Did you find out if this Victoria woman has been stirring  
up  
trouble?"  
"Yes. They've already had one visit from the police looking  
for him. They were very annoyed that he'd left town and they  
weren't able to talk to him personally."  
"Obviously he knew she'd be trouble."  
"I talked to his fiance and she said he had trouble with  
Victoria  
and that he left town to avoid more. She loaned him the  
money to  
do it.."  
"What are your impressions of the woman?"  
"Hire the detective."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray heard the pounding on the door and assumed it was the  
Ranger Fraser told him to expect. He got the surprise of his life  
when he opened the door and the Boss Lady from the shelter  
staggered in, covered in snow, all chattering teeth and shivering  
badly.  
He quickly closed the door and got her over to the fire,  
finding a chair for her to sit on while she thawed out. She  
looked up at him as she did and he walked away to make coffee.  
"What  
are you doing here?" He asked when he returned and  
handed her  
a cup.  
She sipped at the coffee first and waited till her teeth  
stopped chattering.  
"My car broke down on the highway. I saw the smoke from your  
fire place and headed for it.."  
"What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"  
"I was looking for you."  
"Well you broke down in the right place to do it."  
She looked around.  
"So this is where you live."  
"For the moment."  
"You never intended to come back, did you?"  
"I didn't come here intending to stay this long. I do  
intend to return.. It's just not safe right now."  
"Who are you? The police came asking questions about you...  
And that woman.. "  
"Her name's Victoria Meltcafe."  
"She used another name when she stayed there... We helped  
her  
get back on her feet... Now I find out she's wanted for  
murder in Chicago... And they're saying .."  
"I'm someone else. I explained that to the police when I  
helped  
them catch her. Obviously the detectives involved decided  
to do me  
a favour and not mention my involvement."  
"Who are you?"  
"I'm who I told you was.. I am George Fiorella.. The travel  
columnist and I can prove it.. If you know anything about ..."  
"I know all about him. I ran a background check before I  
offered  
you a job. What I learned seemed to match your story."  
"But  
now you doubt it."  
"They showed me a picture of the man they were looking for,  
Raymond Vecchio - the name that woman booked you in under. You  
could  
be twins.. Well if you didn't have the scars."  
"I know," he said, "Just wait here and warm up, I'll be  
right back."  
He was, with Dief, she stared at him.  
"Meet Chow Hound."  
"I thought you said you released him in the wild."  
"A ranger was looking after him. He's been domesticated too  
long to go back to the wild."  
Dief moved in to sniff her.  
"He's friendly don't worry."  
She held out her hand and Dief sniffed it, and then decided  
she was safe enough and curled up on the rug watching her.  
"There was another reason I came... I had a call from the  
Sheriff  
the day after you arrived back, he said a woman who  
claimed to be your fiancee gave him our number to call if he saw  
you."  
"Did he say who it was?" he asked warily.  
She nodded.  
"Is it true? Don't lie... It's important that I know."  
Ray looked into the fire crossing his arms.  
"George.. Listen to me... This is going to hurt... Lily ran  
the back ground check, she knows you're who you say you are."  
Ray bowed his head.  
"She has latched onto formerly rich and famous men who  
passed through our doors when they were hard on their luck  
in the past. Self made millionaires and people who are famous  
through  
their work, not just for being someone are the ones she  
latches onto.  
Those are the ones who have the most chance of  
getting back on their feet and rebuilding their old lives. She  
wants  
to be rich. The only thing she loves about you is your  
fame, and the riches she thinks it will bring."  
"Why do you keep her on, if she does that?" he asked his  
voice rough.  
"I know what Lily's like and keep an eye on her, I warned  
all  
the men she latched onto... I didn't know she'd latched onto  
you.  
I didn't think she would... I thought... you were involved  
with that  
other woman and that there was no reason to worry about  
it in your  
case."  
He sighed.  
"Why... do you keep her on?"  
"She'd never get work outside the shelter, apart from  
working the streets. And that's what Lily used to do.. She used  
to  
sell her body to get money for the drugs she was addicted too.  
She  
was busted and put through rehabilitation but she had no  
where to go and kept ending back on the street, hooked again. The  
police officer who kept trying to get Lily off the streets  
brought her to me as a last resort... She'd be back on the  
streets selling her self the minute she ran out of money if I  
gave  
her the sack for what she does.."  
"You won't."  
"No. I won't. I'm sorry... But I'm going to have to ask you  
not to return... If you still need a job when you're ready to  
return  
I will put you up - at my house, find you an agent, and  
keep a roof  
over your head till he can get a publisher for your  
work."  
He wiped his face on his sleeve and drew in a deep  
shuddering breath before he looked at her.  
"Don't worry... The man I told you about owns this place...  
He'd take care of me as long as I need help. I didn't know how to  
contact him... But someone who did has..."  
"The called this the William's place... Told me if I missed  
the turn off to go on till I hit the park, that the Sheriff was  
there..  
He said his name was William's.. Is this his place?"  
"No.  
It's Dean's. The man I told you about."  
"Dean Alexander."  
He nodded.  
"The Architect?"  
He nodded.  
She looked around again, then looked up at him.  
"There's something you should know about him... If he's the  
same Dean Alexander who built that magnificent gallery in the  
Hayden  
Building."  
Ray nodded.  
"He's Gay, George. He was outed in the worst way quite a few  
years ago."  
"I know."  
"Oh.. Well... I thought... "  
"Just because he's gay doesn't mean he leaps on any man  
around."  
"I didn't.."  
"No, you just inferred it when you just felt you had to warn  
me."  
"George.. I didn't mean it that way... I used to know him."  
That silenced Ray.  
"He came through the shelter... In a wheel chair..."  
"I  
know what happened to him."  
"A former resident who works in a hotel found him, in his  
hotel  
room, in the bath, he slashed his wrists. At that point, he  
just  
wanted to die. To join his lover who died. We took him in...  
Watched  
him around the clock until someone came to offer him  
work. He oversaw the work on that gallery in the Hayden Building  
from his wheel chair. It gave him back the spark he lost, he  
designed it before... his lover died... His lover encouraged him  
to put his heart and soul into it. "  
"It's breath taking."  
"You've seen it."  
Ray nodded.  
"He was fired the day they completed it. And he returned to  
us... He was completely shattered. He didn't try to actively kill  
himself, he just didn't care if he lived or died any more. Then  
his  
brother came and brought him home. We didn't hear a word for  
two  
years, then we received a huge parcel, 6 huge paintings... If  
you  
saw the Hayden Gallery you saw them... He told us to invite  
Mr Anderson  
to view them, then make him pay through the nose to  
buy them... Which  
he did. The next year it was the models which  
we sold to Anderson  
as well. Every year since we've received art  
to auction. Dean is  
one of our benefactors. His art sells for  
very high prices."  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
"He's wealthy or people think he is. I'm not really sure,  
he's  
a benefactor to a number of charities that I know of.."  
"And  
the point?"  
"I'm getting to it.. He sends all of them art, not cheques,  
art. To do with what they will. Most sell it, one, the wildlife  
organisation  
uses it and makes money selling prints. Though I've  
never heard of  
him personally selling his work. People know about  
Dean Alexander  
the Architect and the artist.. They know he's gay  
because of what  
happened. Wether you are or not people will  
assume it because you are under his wing."  
"Do you think I am?"  
"Well if you fell for Lily's con game you're not... But that  
means nothing... She and others like her, who want to make money  
\- who think you or Dean have it - will try to use it to extort  
money  
out of you, on the threat of exposing your relationship  
with him.  
He'd probably pay out anyone who tried it on him... To  
protect you  
from the fall out he suffered. And there are  
others... Gay people who'd approach you to come out for the  
benefit of all Gays, you're a hero, and a famous name now. Others  
militant gays would just out you - wether or not you are having a  
relationship for the same reason. Just because you are under  
Dean's wing... If you accept his help, his shelter, you should  
know  
what the price could be."  
Ray nodded slowly.  
"Thanks for the warning."  
"No one will hear about it from me."  
He gave her a weak little smile. She opened her mouth to say  
more when the both heard a vehiCle approaching and looked around.  
Ray walked over to a window to look out. The vehicle tripped the  
hidden sensors and lights came on. Ray relaxed when he saw it was  
the Sheriff's vehicle and moved to open the door. The sheriff  
was  
soon at the fire, telling them he saw the car and followed  
the foot  
prints till he saw where they were headed.  
"Thought I'd check and see if some help was needed."  
"Well,  
this woman will need a lift into town. And her car  
towed."  
The sheriff nodded.  
"I'd invite you to stay," Ray told her, "But there's only  
enough bedding for one, and only one bed.. Dean took most of his  
bedroom furniture with him."  
"If you need a place to stay, I can put you up at my place  
for  
the night, Ma'am."  
"Thank-you."  
"You know what I'd like right now," Williams said to Ray.  
"Coffee," Ray said.  
The Sheriff nodded and Ray headed for the kitchen with the  
Sheriff on his heels.  
Once there Ray told him he knew Dean had contacted him and  
the plans he'd made.  
"Good, good.. I was intending to drop in on my way back to  
town  
to get a list off you anyway... Of anything you need. Dean  
put some  
money in the bank to cover expenses. He told me there's  
a woman causing  
you trouble.. That ain't her is it?"  
"Oh, no, she came out here to warn me about a sweet talking  
gold digger."  
"Wouldn't be your fiancee would it?"  
"Ex as of the minute I make the phone call."  
"Ah.. A woman rang saying she was your fiancee.. I didn't  
believe  
it for a second.. Made a call.. The woman I spoke to  
didn't know what I was talking about.. I figured it was a  
reporter trying to track you down at first. Till I talked to  
Dean, then I thought it was this other woman."  
"That would have been my fiancee for sure, I was supposed to  
ring her when I got to town but I couldn't find a phone that  
worked."  
"Those comedians that hit town a while back had some phone  
with  
all the public phones.. They don't think its so funny now  
they're  
cooling their heels in a cell."  
"Oh, you caught them."  
"Nope, passed a message on to a few towns along their  
route.. They were caught in the act of doing it in another town."  
"Good."  
"Not so good is the reason I was out this way.. The local  
beauty  
queen went missing.. They found her.. In the park."  
"Dead?"  
He nodded.  
"8th body we found that way.. 3rd one we've found in the  
park.  
That woman out there's lucky she broke down in walking  
distance of this place.. 4 of them were women who's cars broke  
down  
along the highway."  
"Sounds to me like you've got an opportunistic serial killer  
on your hands."  
"No doubt about it," Williams said with a nod.  
"The other women?"  
"We haven't been able to identify.. The way they were  
buried made it hard for the coroner to tell how long they'd been  
there. We've been finding bodies for two years now, but at least  
one had been there for much longer than that."  
"Any suspects?"  
"A local.. Possibly one of the Rangers.. A woman alone on a  
deserted stretch of road would trust one and he definitely knows  
the park like the back of his hand. I'd take it kindly if you  
reported  
seeing any up to anything strange, digging or alone with  
women out  
on the highway."  
Ray nodded.  
"Which reminds me.. The one who molested you.."  
"You got rid of him."  
"Uh-no.. See it seems the one Dean asked could be trusted,  
but  
he couldn't make it so he asked, or more rightly told someone  
else  
to drop over and take care of it, but they had their hands  
busy and  
asked someone else.. And well.. I damn near went through  
every man  
there.. Seems like they were all asked to take care of  
it and none  
of them will admit to being the one who came out here  
and no one  
knows who did."  
Ray rolled his eyes as the kettle boiled and started making  
coffee.  
"So I have to watch out for him."  
"I'd say if he ever drops by this way again, not to open the  
door and call me. Then go lock yourself in the store room."  
"Where is that?"  
"I'll show you after I have some of that coffee. I'm half  
frozen."  
Ray handed him a cup of it, he sipped and smiled.  
"Perfect... Now, as I was saying, I'll call Ryan, he's the  
Head  
Ranger, and he'll send someone out immediately. By the time  
I'd arrive,  
he could be long gone."  
Ray nodded.  
"Now I'm telling you this because who ever's carving up  
these women is one sick man, no telling what he could get up to."  
"I doubt it's the same man, he did leave me alone. Once he  
realised  
he had the wrong idea completely."  
"Still.. I'd like to get my hands on him... A pity your  
description matches half the Rangers in the park..."  
"I thought you said.."  
"It's not worth a trial - that'd be worse for you than what  
he did to you in the first place, and the media would be all over  
it. I talked to Ryan, if I find out who it was, he'll be  
dismissed and I'll be showing him the way to the county line."  
Ray smiled faintly.  
"If I don't throw him in a cell for suspicion of murder that  
is... Now I hope you don't mind if I ask you to tell me what he  
did,  
and this time be.. graphic.. Every little bit helps. Don't  
worry,  
you don't have to tell me tonight.. I'll take care of the  
lady...  
You just get it clear in your head, and write it up for  
me.It'll  
probably be easier that way. You can give it to me when  
I drop back  
round to get that list."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Two more vehicles arrived after the Sheriff departed taking  
his surprise visitor. Both Ranger ATV's, the first was a lone  
Ranger  
who Ray recognised from his visit to the park, he was  
friendly and mentioned seeing the car. Ray told him the Sheriff  
had  
taken care of the driver and was going to arrange to have it  
towed  
away. The Ranger gave a nod and bid him goodnight to drive  
away.  
Another one showed up less than 20 minutes later. This time  
it was two Rangers. Same reason. They looked near frozen and Ray  
let them in, dragging the couch closer to the fire so they could  
sit to thaw out by the fire and gave them a hot drink. They were  
chatty and Ray discovered they were partners, in more ways than  
one.  
On their way back to the park after attending a social event  
for  
the County's gay community. They noticed his reaction and  
hastened  
to assure him it wasn't what he thought.  
"Dean started it, not long before he left.. Him and that  
reporter  
Mz Ekles. So we could get to meet others, trade  
information, particularly about people who are homophobic. The  
last  
thing we want is to find out someone's a homophobe after  
they find  
out we're gay."  
"Ah.."  
"The meetings are held at the Sheriff's house, so no one  
would  
dare bother us. We got a real surprise when someone we  
thought was a raving phobe showed up... Turns out he just comes  
across  
that way with people less'n he know's they're gay or  
neutral."  
"Ah."  
"Can't wait to tell Dean about him, he'd probably faint."  
"Why? If he doesn't pretend with people he knows.."  
"Dean's  
the only one around here with the guts to come out  
about it, but  
then, his big brother's the Sheriff and would come  
down hard on anyone  
who tried to show him the errors of his ways  
as it were. And most  
people assume if you're a male friend of  
Dean's, you've probably  
slept with him, wether it's true or not  
just because he's out."  
"Uh-ha.. I was warned about that."  
He enjoyed watching them both blush as they realised they  
may have made the wrong assumption about him and Ray didn't put  
them  
out of their misery.  
"I'm neutral."  
They relaxed, neutral was good. The chattier of the pair  
waffled on while his partner fell asleep beside him. When he  
noticed that, he gave him a poke. Ray gave a faint smile.  
"Come on sleepy head, we've got a ways to go before you.."  
"There's a spare bed you can crash on. If you happen to have  
sleeping bags or a blanket that is."  
"We've got blankets in the back... One of us usually naps  
while  
the other drives. And it was so cold out, we tossed a pile  
in."  
"Why don't you go get them while I take care of the room."  
The Ranger did settling his partner down on the couch to go  
to the ATV while Ray stripped the spare bed of its plastic  
covering. He'd been lying about Dean taking the bedroom  
furniture, he simply hadn't wanted that woman to stay the night.  
That would have meant talking further with her which he had been  
glad to escape.  
He took the bedding from the Ranger and suggested he park  
his ATV in the stable, as there was plenty of room and it would  
be  
more likely to start in the morning if it were kept there. The  
Ranger  
went back out into the cold to follow his suggestion while  
Ray made  
up the bed for them, then he went back to the lounge to  
get the sleepy  
one up to his feet and headed in the right  
direction, telling him where to find the bathroom and toilet as  
well  
as the bedroom.  
He let the other Ranger in through the back door and  
directed him to the bedroom and bathroom as he had with the  
first, then went out to throw some more wood on the fire and  
clean up the cups. He stretched out by the fire, Dief curling up  
beside him on the lounge, and basked in the heat. He was wide  
awake  
now and his mind was busy mulling over the day's events and  
discoveries.  
He realised that discovering his Fiancee was a clever gold  
digger wasn't that hard to believe. The things he learned about  
her  
made sense to him. He briefly toyed with the idea of going  
through  
with it any way, then dismissed the idea. Just like  
Victoria that woman used sex as a weapon. And he didn't love her,  
never had, he'd just been lonely and didn't want to stay that  
way.  
It was a nice little fantasy while it lasted, but reality  
had reared its head, twice over, first Benton, then his  
revelations about Dean. Ray wasn't even sure if he knew what love  
was. He thought he'd loved Benton, he'd wanted what happened till  
had crossed the line that Dean would never cross with him. Yes it  
had hurt, but to be honest, it was more to do with surprise and  
his  
leg being touched and moved in ways that made the pain flare  
up.  
And there had been some pleasure in it. He was sure that  
under the right circumstances it could be a lot better.  
Then there was Dean, he did care for the man, he felt more  
pain when he'd drooled over the Ranger at the river than he'd  
felt  
at learning the truth about his Fiancee. And Dean was a  
wonderful lover who made his body come alive every time he  
touched him. He'd bet Dean would be so careful and gentle that  
he'd  
never have to worry about pain spoiling things.  
That reminded him of his fiance. Pain had never spoiled  
things with her. Did that mean what happened with Benton was  
different. He pondered the question and realised, it had been,  
very  
little foreplay, no intention to get into it, and Benton was  
still  
a novice in that particular area. Where as Dean and his  
Fiancee were  
both highly experienced in their own ways.  
He didn't think Dean would let him do what Benton had, and  
he wondered, if it would feel as wonderful as it had with his  
fiancee.  
So wrapped up was he in his thoughts that he didn't hear the  
third vehicle to pull up. He didn't miss the banging on the door  
though and rose with a sigh to answer it. How many more people  
were  
going to see that car and come to investigate he wondered.  
He did  
a double take and back stepped instinctively when he  
found his molester on the door step. His molester did a double  
take,  
then smiled. Before Ray could gather his scattered wits the  
man walked  
in.  
"Well hello there, I thought you'd left town."  
"I did, now I'm back."  
"There's a car up there, just off the side of the highway. I  
noticed the smoke and figured whoever owned it broke in here to  
wait  
till morning in comfort. I couldn't trouble you for a cup of  
coffee  
could I. I've been on my bike for hours and I'm frozen."  
Ray  
would have liked nothing better than to have turfed him  
out on his ear, but he was in now, and he remembered the other  
two  
rangers he'd invited to crash in the spare bed. Just let him  
try  
something, if Dief didn't go for him, he'd make enough noise  
to rouse  
them and they'd take care of him.  
He spun on his heel heading for the kitchen expecting the  
Ranger to head for the fire place. No sooner had he set the  
kettle to boil than the man's arms wrapped around him from  
behind. Ray spun but before he could do much more he was pinned  
to  
the bench and the man's mouth covered his.  
Revulsion filled him and he shoved with all his might,  
ignoring the pain it cost him. The amorous Ranger just bent him  
back  
over the bench. Pain ripped up his spine as he was forced up  
hard  
against the edge. It paralysed him for a moment made him cry  
out  
in pain and his stomach churned as the Ranger took advantage  
to start  
plundering his mouth.  
Then one of the man's arms moved and he was being fondled,  
it reminded him of Victoria. He remembered the pain he'd suffered  
resisting her, he didn't want to go through that again. He  
wondered why Dief wasn't attacking the man, as he stopped  
fighting and passively took it.  
Once he stopped fighting it, the Ranger eased up a little  
and the pain that had almost paralysed him faded. It was just  
like  
the last time, with two differences, this time his body  
didn't respond to the rough passion of the Ranger. And the Ranger  
obviously liked things rougher than he'd first appeared too and  
didn't  
like Ray's passive resistance. He whimpered and cried out  
in pain,  
at the roughness he was handled with and realised the  
man definitely  
liked dishing out pain. He was getting turned on -  
the Ranger, not  
Ray.  
All of Ray's cries were muffled, not loud enough to attract  
attention. When the man's mouth wasn't plundering his, his hand  
was  
over it. His hot breath on his ear, panting and saying much  
what  
Victoria had. He wondered if that was standard. Wondered  
what it  
would take to make Dief attack him, if the wolf was  
asleep.  
He was forced down to his knees and told he had a choice,  
neither of which appealed to him. His head was rammed into the  
cupboard  
and he saw stars. That was when he heard Dief growl.  
=Thank-you god=  
He was released and slumped to the floor dazed. His head hit  
the polished floor boards and he knew no more.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"And you're absolutely sure it was the same man?"  
Ray nodded, and wished he hadn't it made his headache worse.  
Meghan told her husband to stop pestering the poor soul already  
and  
bustled him out before returning the side of the spare bed  
Ray now  
occupied.  
She fussed around and told him to lie down already, which he  
was glad to do.  
"How did I get here?"  
"Those Ranger's you invited to use the spare room heard your  
Wolf making a racket and when they investigated, they found the  
front  
door open, heard someone speeding away and found you on the  
kitchen  
floor out cold. One stayed to watch the house, in case  
that animal  
came back - and I'm not talking about your wolf, and  
the other one  
brought you here."  
She tucked him in, sympathised and told him he should really  
look into self defence lessons.  
"Then you could fight back."  
"Tried that... Hurt so much.."  
"Let me give you your first lesson.. You watch me.. Are you  
watching.. Good.." She brought her knee up swiftly.  
"Do that, and go for the family jewels, hard as you can..  
That'll  
put him down and when he is.. Either run, or find  
something to whack him over the head with, not too hard mind, you  
can crack a persons skull and kill them."  
=I cracked my own skull and killed myself=  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray slept the day away and woke late in the evening to be  
driven out to the airfield by the Sheriff. He was bundled into a  
small planed with Dief, and sent on his way. The plane took him  
to  
a larger airport where he was directed to a passenger plane.  
His  
reputation served him well, George Fiorella and Chow Hound  
were allowed  
to fly together. Dief on the seat beside him.  
He was met at the other end by a chauffeur and bundled into  
a limo, driven through the city to a sky scraper, and met by the  
door man who showed him up to the penthouse. There he collapsed  
on  
the bed and Dief curled up at his side.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
When he next opened his eyes it was to find Fraser hovering  
over him with a smile. He was still half asleep, still  
recovering, jumbled memories flittered past his minds eye and he  
cried out - striking out. Fraser staggered back, a hand to his  
face,  
Ray scrambled back over the bed and tumbled off the edge  
and Dief  
jumped to his feet, not knowing who to "defend." After a  
moment or two's thought about he decided Ray needed defending  
more  
than Fraser did and moved to stand where he could protect  
Ray and  
growled at Fraser.  
Fraser backed up hands up.  
"It's ok Dief, I'm not going to touch him," he said and he  
backed toward the door.  
Ray only rose up when Fraser closed the door on his way out.  
Then Ray threw his arms around Dief hugging and stroking him.  
"Good  
boy.."  
Dief licked his face and Ray had a chance to get his  
scattered wits together.  
"Why couldn't you have done that with that Ranger?"  
Dief  
gave a little whine. Ray wouldn't understand. The poor  
wolf didn't understand what had been going on, but it knew what  
violence  
was when it saw it and had acted when he'd seen it. It  
had learned  
a lesson and wouldn't let anyone else hurt Ray.  
Ray ruffled Dief's fur burying his face in it for a moment,  
thinking of how the Wolf had been Benton's and chosen to defend  
him  
against the man when he'd been so obviously frightened. He  
made sure  
the wolf could see his face.  
"It's alright... Thank-you. I don't know what I'd do without  
you."  
Dief licked his face. He needed him alright, look at all the  
trouble he got into. Maybe now he'd show his appreciation more  
often  
the way he used to do.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser was working in the kitchen off the dining area. If  
you stood at the right place you could get a view of the dining  
area  
and the lounge beyond.  
Fraser heard a door open and shortly there after voices,  
Ray's, excited, babbling and Dean's soothing. Fraser moved to the  
place with a view and saw Dean near the couch, Ray wrapped around  
him, while Dean stroked his back and head telling him everything  
was going to be alright. He saw Dief in the doorway to the room  
Ray  
had occupied watching them with an eye of suspicion.  
It pained him to see the wolf so wary of such things. But it  
set his mind at rest, he'd told Dief to protect Ray. He was doing  
that. Had done or so it had been reported, and shown he was  
willing to defend Ray against anyone Ray viewed as a threat  
including him.  
He remained in the kitchen finishing his work there and  
cleaning up till he heard the door open and close. He checked,  
they  
were gone. Fraser crept through the penthouse to get his  
things.  
He couldn't put off his return to Chicago any longer, and  
he knew  
Ray was now in good hands and would be protected.  
He left a note before he left, and stopped by the kitchen  
setting down a bowl of meat for Dief with a side dish, covered in  
milk duds.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
On arrival at O'Hare Fraser was met by both Mrs Vecchio and  
Francessca who both hugged him and babbled about how good it was  
to see him alive. Mrs Vecchio told him he was going to come home  
with her, to stay with the family and wouldn't take no for  
answer. He hadn't intended to refuse if the offer was extended.  
But  
the two women weren't the only ones waiting, there was  
Lieutenant Welsh and a woman in a suit watching.  
The woman gave him a chilly reception and Fraser realised  
why when Welsh introduced him to Inspector Thatcher of the RCMP  
who'd  
replaced his superior. They both had questions. Fraser  
chose to go with Welsh, who promised the Vecchio women he would  
drop  
him at their place when he was finished.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser truthfully told Welsh what happened with Victoria up  
to the point where he parted ways with her. When Welsh closed his  
office blinds, Fraser removed his coat, shirt and undershirt to  
show  
Welsh the scars that were the legacy of that event.  
Welsh moved around examining them.  
"I didn't know where I was... I found a road and collapsed.  
Someone took me to a hospital where I received treatment. I left  
as soon as possible.. And I lived off the land till I ran into  
someone  
who I'd rather not identify. He made sure I had supplies,  
told me  
where I could find shelter, when I needed it. And when he  
found out  
I'd been cleared he tracked me down and showed me the  
article in  
the paper he was reading which revealed I'd been  
cleared. And that Ray had been murdered."  
"That's when you made your way back to civilisation and  
contacted us."  
Fraser nodded.  
"I rescued a man out there, who told me if I ever needed a  
favour  
to call.. He gave me a business card. I remembered his  
details, and  
the person who took care of me couldn't afford to  
send me all this  
way, but he did help me reach that man, who did  
repay the favour,  
gave me some decent clothes, and a ticket back  
here."  
"Unless you can tell us where she tried to kill you we can't  
act on that."  
"I.. could tell you were I was... If I could contact the  
person  
who helped me, it could cost that person his job if it  
came out.  
I was still wanted at the time."  
"This person who helped you.."  
"He was a relative.. He'd been trying to find one for a long  
time. He was orphaned very young. I told him everything, and he  
helped  
me, made sure I had the supplies I needed. It would be  
poor gratitude  
if he lost everything because I revealed his  
identity just to have my revenge against Victoria."  
Welsh gave a slow nod  
"If she goes down for killing Jolley, I'll let it drop. He  
did  
say that if she got off the hook he'd come forward to help."  
"But he'd rather not take the risk."  
Fraser nodded.  
"Understandable."  
"Now I've told you everything. I want to know all about Ray,  
what happened to him, have you got any leads on his murder, do  
you  
have any..."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray watched Dean leaning on the penthouse's balcony rail  
looking out at the city below while he sat, warm and snug on the  
couch inside, on the phone, listening to Fraser.  
"So they suspect I faked my death."  
"That's the bad news.. There's more. The insurance company  
was  
about to pay out your policy when Victoria told the police  
you were  
alive and now they're waiting for the investigation to  
be concluded  
before they pay out. You're account's been frozen,  
and your family  
is in danger of loosing their home. You're whole  
elaborate set up  
is falling apart, Ray. All because of Victoria."  
"Ohgod."  
"But, there is some good news.."  
"There is?"  
"Though I've lost my position.. Your mother has offered me  
shelter  
at your home, your sisters have both found work, and  
between them their hoping they can convince the bank to let them  
take over the mortgage - so they maybe able to keep the house."  
"That is good news."  
"And if the insurance company doesn't pay out you can't be  
charged  
with fraud.. And there is a possibility that you might,  
just might  
escape conviction for setting things up the way you  
did. If I can  
prove you used the corpse of that derelict in your  
set up. Lt Welsh  
supplied me with a defence to use. He told me  
what you were like,  
before and after you stopped taking your  
medication."  
Ray almost chuckled - that had been an act.  
"A good defence lawyer could use that call it temporary  
insanity, get you off using that defence."  
"Assuming I even wanted to return to Chicago."  
"Ray.."  
"I told you - he's dead, they wouldn't accept that, they  
forced  
me into taking that line to make them accept it so I could  
get on  
with my life.. O.K, so I made a huge mess of it. But...  
That doesn't  
mean I'm going to go crawling back like a whipped  
pup with my tail  
between my legs to beg forgiveness and let them  
take control of my  
life again."  
Fraser sighed. He really didn't blame Ray. He now lived in  
Ray's bedroom, had seen the lock on the door, the way the window  
was secured. Talked to people, Elaine included and new Ray had  
good  
reason to feel trapped. He was hoping he could convince Ray  
to return  
and face the consequences and use it in his defence to  
get him off  
the hook. To give him a chance to live his life  
without it hanging over his head like the sword of Damocles.  
"And there's the little matter of my taking a dead man's  
identity  
\- even you don't want the fact you did it to come out,  
well I became  
famous, it would come out - I'd loose everything  
again, wether or  
not I got off the hook, find another way."  
"I'll try..  
I have to go now, take care."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"What do you think love?" Dean asked showing him his final  
model and concept designs for the museum.  
"I think you're a glutton for compliments, that's what I  
think."  
Dean chuckled.  
"It's incredible, but you already know that, and I'm sure  
you've  
heard it a hundred and one times already."  
"My we're grumpy today."  
Ray didn't mention the fact he'd get a lot grumpier if they  
continued living in separate rooms. He saw no one except his  
martial arts coach (Dean arranged it) and Dean, day in, day out.  
He never left the penthouse Anderson had put Dean up in for his  
stay.  
Dean worked hard, spending long hours at the office, he'd  
leave early  
in the morning and return late in the evening. They  
had breakfast  
together, Dean made a point of it, and he always  
made a point to  
spend a little time with Ray in the evenings if  
he was awake when  
he returned.  
Fraser's calls had slowed to a trickle and stopped  
altogether. He rarely had anything new to say and his attempts to  
convince Ray to return to Chicago to face the music only resulted  
in tension. Now his only human contact was Dean and his coach.  
He  
wanted more contact than he was getting, but he was  
afraid to push his luck. He couldn't leave, couldn't risk ruining  
everything. Couldn't get an agent, even though he'd filled his  
days  
writing and come up with enough material to fill a shelf on  
the book  
shelf with his own work. Dean made a big deal out of  
getting him  
everything he needed to print out his stories and  
bind them. One  
shelf was full of bound stories, another with  
manuscripts in envelopes.  
His column was about to die. He'd covered all he could  
for it and made a little more money. He'd sent it to Benton to  
give  
to his mother, to put toward the mortgage. It wasn't much,  
but it  
was enough to cover a few months mortgage payments.  
He felt useless and trapped again. It was little wonder he  
was grumpy. But he'd messed things up once, twice, he wasn't  
going to mess things up again. He learned his lesson though it  
didn't  
make it easier to take.  
"I know how to put a smile back on your face," Dean  
declared.  
"How?"  
"Now I've finished the plans, and the Council approved them,  
I can take a short break before construction starts. Anderson  
will  
over see the start of the project. He told me I could have  
six weeks  
off, and I have made plans for those six weeks, love..  
Plans I hope  
you approve of."  
Ray sat up straighter. Six weeks, six weeks that Dean  
wouldn't be hard at work, six weeks of his company, of Dean's  
undivided  
attention being his. O.k so he wouldn't get the  
attention he wanted, craved, but he'd be happy just to spend  
quality time with him.  
Dean produced airline tickets and hotel booking slips from  
his briefcase with a flourish and handed them to Ray. Ray looked  
them over and his eyes widened.  
"Hawaii!"  
It was the only state of America he hadn't visited yet.  
"Well, it's the only place you haven't visited yet. All I  
had  
to do was mention your name and the people at the Hawaiian  
tourist  
office were falling over themselves to help me plan the  
best holiday  
possible."  
Ray chuckled and Dean smiled and pulled something else out  
of the briefcase and sat by Ray.  
"It gave me ideas."  
"What kind of ideas?"  
"You're a travel writer, now you're famous, tourism  
companies would fall over themselves to sponsor you on jaunts. I  
made a few inquires, over the phone, during lulls at the office,  
there are four countries you could visit, and have all your  
expenses paid - courtesy of their tourism ministers, in return  
for  
doing what you do best. And hopefully inspiring people to  
visit their  
country."  
"Oh."  
"I know you're going stir crazy here.. I'm trying to do  
something about it.. I really am.. I just need more time to  
arrange everything."  
"Dean.. You know I love you but.."  
"Woah, back up.. Say that again.."  
Ray thought about it, then shyly repeated the statement.  
Dean hugged him to plant a passionate kiss on the top of his  
head.  
"To hear you say that makes it worth everything, love."  
Ray wrapped his arms around Dean and tentatively kissed his  
neck nuzzling it and said I love you over and over till Dean  
cupped his face and gently kissed him. That was all Ray needed.  
With  
a little growl he pushed Dean back on the couch and got  
passionate about it. Kissing, caressing, nuzzling and lavishing  
attention  
on every inch of Dean's body he could get to.  
When he paused to give Dean a chance to escape if he wanted  
to, Dean just smiled at him then got the upper hand, to scoop him  
off and carry him to the master bedroom, nuzzling his Ray's  
throat.  
"God.. I've been waiting for you to make a move.."  
"I've been waiting for you," Ray said tangling fingers in  
Dean's hair.  
"I couldn't... I had to wait for you to make it after what  
happened..  
Till you showed me.. It was what you wanted."  
"I didn't  
think.. You'd want me that way again."  
"I'll never stop wanting you love.. I'll love you and lust  
for  
you till the day I die."  
"You're such a romantic."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
After a night of gentle, on Dean's part, Passionate, on  
Ray's part, love play, Ray's mood improved dramatically. Dean had  
to leave in the morning, one last time, to return his work to the  
office.  
Ray paced the apartment waiting for his return anxiously.  
Now he was assured of Dean's undying love, he was ready to lay  
down  
a few ground rules. He spent two hours rehearsing what he  
was going  
to say and almost forgot it all when Dean returned with  
a huge bunch  
of red roses and gifts.  
"I did a little shopping, for you."  
"You shouldn't have."  
"And there's more, I visited a few embassies and consulates  
and."  
"Woah... we need to talk - now."  
Dean trailed off. Ray took his flowers and gifts and set  
them aside, then made Dean sit while he paced around before the  
couch.  
"I love you - you know that, I know you love me, and I know  
you want to spoil me, and protect me from the big bad world. And  
I know how bad it can be. But.. Unless you can give me your word,  
to *not* start dictating what I should do with my life from now  
on...  
I will leave you Dean."  
Dean's eyes widened.  
"I have.. my own plans, I know you only want to do what's  
best  
for me, and help me, and protect me. But.. So did the last  
person  
who took over my life.. I couldn't stand it, even though I  
know they  
meant well.. They drove me insane."  
"I'm sorry love.. I didn't mean to take over.. I just wanted  
to help."  
Ray moved to sit beside him.  
"I know you do, that's why I love you. You do it.. In a  
different way. But it still.. makes me feel like.. Chow Hound on  
a leash, I just want to get off.."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I want to stay with you, I really do, but I want to have a  
life as well. I've made mistakes, I've learned from them, and..  
what I want is for you to work with me to help me, not.. to  
decide things for me and put plans into motion without consulting  
me."  
Dean nodded.  
"I'll cancel the tickets and bookings."  
"There you go, making plans without consulting me again."  
Dean looked confused.  
"It's not the trip to Hawaii, Dean, I'll go there with you  
happily."  
Dean relaxed.  
"It's everything else.. Everyone has been telling me what to  
do, I have my own plans my own goals.. And things keep going  
wrong, you encourage me to follow my goals, and I know you can  
help  
me achieve them, and my damned pride got in the way and cost  
me everything.  
Now I'm ready to face the world again, whatever  
the price is.. I  
need you... Not for your financial support, but  
for the other kind."  
Dean reached up to stroke his hand.  
"I understand. Tell me how I can help."  
"I want to get an agent for one thing.. I want to do  
something with all that work I've been doing."  
"I'll work on it, as soon as we get back from Hawaii..."  
"It's not important.. What I need now, more than anything is  
to feel.. Like I'm achieving something. Even if I get an agent  
tomorrow  
it could take months for results.. I need to do  
something that has faster results.. And you gave me the idea."  
"What?"  
"How many embassies and consulates do you think you can  
call? How many sponsors do you think we could find, to try and  
get  
around the world in Eighty days?"  
Dean laughed and gave him a kiss on the head.  
"And do you think you could get your boss to give you Eighty  
days.. To come with me?"  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser collapsed into a chair and pulled his boots off to  
rub his sore feet. He'd thought getting himself licensed to  
become a private detective was the solution to his problems,  
financially, he'd joined a reputable agency, but it caused more  
problems.  
He was so busy carrying out the assignments they gave  
him, he had  
little time to work on the Ray problem.  
The only bright note in the whole mess was that Victoria  
hadn't been able to wiggle off the hook for Jolley's murder. Her  
confession to avoid being charged for his and Ray's murders had  
sealed  
her fate. The prosecutor had driven the point home that  
she had systematically  
destroyed Fraser's life after taking her  
sisters identity, suggested  
she'd lured Jolley to Chicago to use  
in her plan and insure he never  
bothered her again - she knew  
what she was doing and intended to  
kill him from the start.  
She knew he was supposed to have been in prison, if she'd  
been in real fear, she would have told the police where to find  
him,  
helped them capture him to send him back to prison where  
he'd belonged.  
But her revenge wouldn't be complete if she  
couldn't use Jolley - frame Fraser for his murder, to punish the  
Mountie for capturing her and sending her to prison.  
She was sentenced to life, with no possibility of parole for  
at least 20 years. Fraser was satisfied. Now if only he could  
solve  
the problems Victoria had raised with her arrest.  
The Chicago police would love to talk to George Fiorella,  
but he'd as good as disappeared, thanks in no small part to Dean.  
The investigation the police had undertaken left them scratching  
their heads. They'd run into the same puzzle Fraser had. How  
could Ray and George Fiorella be the same man? How could they be  
anything else? They kept going around in circles.  
By use of information they didn't have and dogged  
determination Fraser began to put together a clear picture of  
Ray's  
activities and even worked out how Ray had done it. A  
certain career criminal, infamous for his work at helping the  
criminal  
element set up new lives had died shortly before Ray  
vanished, Fraser  
checked his activities out in the weeks  
proceeding his death and eventually found what he was looking  
for.  
Ray had used the man's services before he'd been killed.  
He'd been  
forced to fake his own death when the man had been  
killed, or he'd have set it up for Ray in a way that wouldn't  
fall  
apart.  
Fraser had lucked out on an assignment which sent him to New  
York and visited Brooklyn finding the apartment block where Ray  
had  
lived, questioned the land lord and learned more about Ray's  
first  
steps. He'd shown up without Dief at first, so what had  
happened  
to the Wolf during that time? How did he acquire it? Did  
it matter?  
Yes, it might.  
He heard Frannie and Maria talking and looked around as they  
entered with a magazine. They saw him and soon he was being shown  
the article they were discussing and looked at it in shock. Ray  
and  
Dean - more accurately George and Dean had gotten *married*.  
There  
were pictures, a three page article just covered with them,  
in which  
they talked about their relationship. He couldn't  
believe it, how could Ray go public like that.  
He didn't have a chance to read it. He saw the pictures and  
the banner before Frannie and Maria walked off fighting over it.  
The magazine was Frannie's, and she told Maria to buy her own.  
Fraser  
pulled his boots on with a wince and walked out to do just  
that,  
buy his own copy.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Dean had talked with Anderson, cancelled his holiday in  
return for his permission to take the trip with Ray when Dean  
told  
him of his plans to marry Ray along the way. Construction of  
the  
Museum started while Ray worked to arrange his grand plan.  
Dean found  
an agent for George Fiorella who assisted in the  
arrangements and suggested George start by telling the magazine  
he  
was Gay and about to get married.  
The magazine dumped him so fast there was an uproar when his  
column vanished from fans. The Agent made deals left, right and  
centre,  
now George was free to do what he wanted, his column  
reappeared, in papers all over the country and a Gay magazine. He  
also found sponsors for his round the world in Eighty days tour  
and  
his column appeared in one of his sponsors in flight  
magazine.  
Another deal George's agent didn't mention was the deal he  
made with a magazine for coverage of his forthcoming wedding.  
Dean  
hadn't proposed, though he told the agent he intended to and  
to marry  
Ray in Hawaii. The agent sewed up a very nice deal with  
a big pay  
cheque for the exclusive rights and George Fiorella  
went from being  
destitute to comfortably well off in a short  
period, and celebrated this fact with Dean the day before the  
trip  
was due to start. He'd almost choked on his champagne when  
he found  
a ring in his glass. And accepted the nervous Dean's  
proposal on  
the spot. Their agent followed them to Hawaii, along  
with Dean's  
Step brother, sister in law, Step-Aunt and a number  
of friends from  
back home. Even old Anderson showed up at their  
wedding with his  
wife, who cried through the whole ceremony.  
It was all photographed courtesy of the magazine who gave  
the agent copies of everything. And they spent two weeks in  
Hawaii and saw the article. Ray had been upset at first, but got  
over it very fast when Dean told him he'd already paid off one  
extortionist  
who threatened to expose his Gay relationship. Now  
their relationship  
was out in the open, there would be no more  
trouble from that end.  
Ray was able to finally relax and enjoy himself for the  
first time since his life had been turned upside down. Their  
world tour almost went off without a hitch. That hitch was a  
psycho terrorist taking over the plane during one leg of the  
tour. A plane full of tourists. This time George became an  
international hero - by accident. He'd been in the toilets up  
near  
the pilots cabin when the terrorist took over.  
He'd stopped out in time to be grabbed and used as a  
hostage. The American contingent on the plane had snickered and  
muttered  
amongst themselves. The moment the terrorist swung his  
weapon away  
to threaten them with it, Ray had acted. All the  
lessons in self defence he'd gotten from the martial arts coach  
paid  
off.  
Half the passengers had cameras of both the photographic and  
video kind and more than one had produced them and used them  
during the incident. Including Dean. There were plenty of  
photographs of the event and at least three tapes one of which  
was  
snapped up by the media and appeared on the news with a  
trailer showing Ray being carried off the plane by his  
Significant Other, and carried to a waiting ambulance.  
He'd spent the night in the hospital zonked on pain killers  
before being given a grand tour of the place with a police  
escort, arranged by a grateful airline. Every where he and Dean  
went  
after that, the Media were waiting.  
Back home people counted the days off and Fraser and the CPD  
were among them. Victoria had seen the news, and told everyone  
who'd  
listen that he was the cop she'd been accused of murdering.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
The detectives from Chicago were doomed to disappointment,  
when they arrived at the airport George and spouse were due to  
arrive  
back in the states at. There was a very large crowd that  
they didn't  
realise until too late, were there to welcome back  
their home grown  
hero. When they tried to move in - they were  
blocked by crowds clamouring  
for autographs, pictures and a  
chance to talk to their hero.  
Airport security kept everyone at a distance, and rushed  
them out to a waiting limo that sped off leaving the detectives  
rushing  
for their car. By the time they were able to follow, it  
was too late.  
The limo was long gone and they lost the scent  
thanks to Mr Anderson.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser didn't have any problems catching up with Ray. He got  
time off from work to fly out and went straight to the penthouse  
to wait. He attached himself to them in the lobby and followed  
them  
up for an awkward reunion. Dean knew that his George had  
been in  
love with Fraser and vice versa and Dean felt a little  
guilty about  
taking advantage of Fraser's absence to woo and win  
his hearts desire  
away from him. Ray expected another lecture  
about returning to face  
the music, and Fraser wasn't sure what  
sort of reception he'd get.  
Fraser put Dean's fears to rest when Ray left them alone  
while he attended the call of nature.  
"I read about your wedding, congratulations. I'm sure you'll  
be very happy together."  
"You.. don't mind?"  
"Why should I?"  
"Well... You said there was a man that you were in love with  
from your past... He told me about you and I assumed..."  
Fraser  
forced a laugh out.  
"There was never anything but friendship between us."  
"Well,  
I know that, he was a virgin, I just thought..."  
"It's  
not George."  
Dean relaxed, he felt so much better.  
"But I need to talk to him, in private, asap. The police  
from  
Chicago are here... I need to speak with him, before they  
can track  
him down."  
"Well... I need to speak to Anderson and collect Chow Hound,  
I'll just do it sooner rather than later."  
He told Ray he was off to speak to his boss and departed  
leaving them alone. Ray wanted to go with him, he didn't want to  
be alone with Fraser. Naughty thoughts kept flitting through his  
mind. And he resented the way Fraser kept trying to make him give  
up his new life to return to the old.  
"If you're going to get stuck into me again about going back  
to Chicago."  
"No."  
"You're not???"  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"Right now, that would be a bad idea. I'm a private  
detective there now. I've been investigating what you did. I can  
prove you faked your death, even tell you how you did it. The  
Police  
though haven't been able to do it, though they have  
gathered enough evidence that points toward it, they can't prove  
it yet."  
"Oh."  
Fraser named the criminal who'd set up his new identity.  
"That's him."  
"If they found out about him, that you'd been to him in  
light of the evidence they've got, someone could make a case  
against you for his murder. They never caught the person who  
killed him."  
"Uh-hu."  
"And I know that if they looked in the right places they  
could  
find proof that you went to him to set up your new  
identity. I found it. They could use the argument you killed him  
to protect your new identity once he'd set it up."  
"Rrright."  
"And you're family knows about your wedding."  
"They do!"  
"Well, George Fiorella's. Your sisters - or at least  
Frannie has compiled what is now a large collection of articles  
on  
George Fiorella. She started it after the first article came  
out  
in that magazine that used to print your column. She collects  
everything  
she can find about you."  
"How nice."  
"She told me *after* the wedding article, that until then  
she  
always had a suspicion that you were her brother using a new  
identity.  
Even if you were nothing like him - except in looks."  
"What  
tipped her off?"  
"Dief."  
"Uh-hu. I suppose she stopped collecting stuff after that  
wedding  
spread."  
"Oh no. That just convinced her she was wrong about you  
being Ray, because he was so straight, and you're Gay. It didn't  
stop her collecting things. Her collection just got bigger and  
more  
expensive after that, but people were always giving her  
copies of articles, she trades with other fans to get new ones.  
She  
is the head of your Chicago fan club, and she was at the  
airport when you arrived."  
Ray looked at him wide eyed.  
"And she's determined to meet you and collected enough  
information to be able to track you down. I thought you should be  
made aware of it. You have to decide wether or not to lie to her  
face, or try to explain things and pray she understands and keeps  
your secret."  
"Why is she so determined to meet me if she doesn't think  
I'm  
her brother any more?"  
"You're fan club. Being the person who runs the Chicago  
branch has brought her lots of new friends, helped her meet new  
people,  
decent people. She is determined to meet you to talk to  
you about  
running your official fan club."  
"I don't have one."  
"That's why she wants to meet you *now* - to get in before  
someone  
else sets it up and starts running it."  
"Oh."  
"And she thinks she talked me into coming here to help her  
track  
you down so she can do it. I came to warn you."  
"Do you think you can send her off on a few wild goose  
chases? I mean her funds must be pretty limited, she can't quit  
her  
job, because she needs it to cover the mortgage, and they  
wouldn't  
give her too much time off. If you can keep her looking  
in the wrong  
places until her money or time runs out, I won't  
have to worry about  
meeting her again, will I?"  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"There you are! Where were you at the airport?! I could  
have  
used your help," Frannie grouched at Fraser when she  
returned  
to the suite she shared with him to find him there.  
It had two bedrooms and it helped them save money.  
"I tried to follow him, I knew you wanted to meet him and  
there  
was no chance of getting through that crowd, so I went out  
and hired  
a cab and waited."  
"Were you able to follow that Limo to his place?"  
"Unfortunately no. We lost them in the traffic."  
"Damn, damn, damn."  
"But I think I have a lead..."  
"You do?! What?"  
"Now before you get too excited, I have to warn you, it  
could be a false lead. The cab driver *claimed* to know where he  
lived, and gave me an address in exchange for 20 dollars. We can  
investigate that lead tomorrow."  
"Tonight."  
"Frannie... It's been a long day, all I want to do is get  
some  
rest, you should too... You look terrible, don't you want to  
look  
your best when you meet him?"  
"He's gay, what would he care."  
"Well... Gay men usually have lots of women friends, and  
we're  
talking about the potential manager of his fan club. Who do  
you think  
he'd prefer, a well kept one or an unkempt one?"  
She took the  
hint.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Frannie was all excitement when the lead, lead to the  
homeless shelter and she found out George *had* lived there,  
once, and worked there. But that was all she found out. The staff  
refused to talk about him, and the Boss Lady asked them to depart  
and stop harassing her staff and residents. The threat of calling  
the police to throw them out if they didn't leave worked.  
Fraser didn't miss the hire car parked on the curb that  
pulled out and followed their cab as they departed, he'd seen it  
earlier, parked outside their hotel. He guessed the Chicago  
detectives were following him and Frannie around in the hopes  
that  
they'd lead them straight to George/Ray.  
Fraser lead both the Detectives and Frannie in a wild goose  
chase across the city, and did it so well neither of them  
realised it was just that, a wild goose chase. "George" became  
more social, attending events with Dean, but they never confirmed  
that they would be attending events in advance, they simply  
showed up at the events they chose to attend. Fraser was able to  
learn what events Ray would attend, and mention a new lead when  
it  
was too late for Frannie to meet him. She kept finding out  
she'd  
missed him by a whisker and praised Fraser for his work.  
"I  
just know we'll find him, with you on his tail. We've  
been so close."  
"Frannie.. I know what this means to you, but.. If we can't  
find him *tonight* we have to return, your job."  
"Oh hang the job, I'll have a new one, running his fan  
club."  
"We don't have enough money."  
"I've got enough, everyone back home wants me to do it. As  
head  
of his fan club I can get autographs, arrange meetings and  
all sorts  
of things. They all put money in the kitty for me to do  
this... I  
can keep it up for a month if I have to."  
=*Siiiigh*=  
"I have a job, Frannie, I can't spend a month chasing this  
man  
around, I have to go back, even if you don't. Do you think  
you can  
do it without me?"  
"Benton! You wouldn't abandon me now! We're so close."  
"My job.."  
"They'll kill me if I don't go back with the job of running  
his official fan club sewn up after they all chipped in to pay  
for  
this trip."  
=*Siiiigh*=  
She started trying to wheedle him into it, pouring on all  
her considerable charm.  
"Frannie.. I thought you agreed not to do that to me any  
more."  
"Ma told me not to do it, but she's not here, is she."  
"Frannie.. Victoria put me off women - *for life*.. I'm  
sorry but throwing yourself at me is a waste of time.. Can't you  
throw yourself at one of those decent men you've met setting up  
the  
fan club."  
She laughed.  
"What's so funny about that suggestion?"  
"They're all *gay* Fraser. He is a gay icon, a gay hero.  
Someone  
gay men can look up to and hope to emulate."  
"Oh."  
"Did you know that there have been fifty percent *more* gay  
weddings in Hawaii since their wedding article was printed. The  
office  
of tourism was flooded with enquiries after that. The  
place they got married at is booked out solid for the next three  
months, and so is the hotel where they stayed for their  
honeymoon."  
"Really how fascinating. How did you know that?"  
"Research, Benton, research. I want to impress him, by being  
able to spout all sorts of facts and figures to convince him to  
hire  
me to run his fan club."  
=I need to talk to Ray.=  
"But first I have to find him."  
"I can't stay, but you could always use Huey and Gardino to  
lead you to him."  
"What????"  
"They're here.. They've been following us around hoping  
we'll lead them to George."  
"What?! Why.. Oh don't tell me they think he's Ray."  
Fraser  
nodded and she burst into laughter.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray gave Fraser a warm welcome to the apartment, and  
listened to Fraser report on Frannie's progress and his  
predicament.  
"Never mind. I've got a solution."  
With a flourish he gave Fraser a scratch and win lottery  
ticket, but this was not for any official lottery. It had been  
printed  
up especially for him.  
"Give this to Frannie to cheer her up tonight. It should  
solve  
everything."  
"Why?"  
"It's a lottery ticket, the prize is more than enough money  
to cover paying out the mortgage on the house. You give it to  
her,  
and she'll scratch up that money and rush off there to cash  
it -  
they'll give her a bank cheque for the amount that can't be  
traced  
to me. Don't forget to remind her about the mortgage, so  
she doesn't  
go on a big shopping spree."  
"How do you know it will win?"  
"Because I set it up with the charity running the lottery,  
only  
one ticket has a prize that big, they got half a dozen of  
Dean's  
paintings to auction and the cheque and a few thousand  
dollars, to  
pay off to ticket buyers. It was set up *just* so I  
could get this  
money to Frannie.. Dean set it up. The charity  
gets money out of  
it, and people will get a chance to win some  
money if they buy tickets,  
and one has one of his large paintings  
up for grabs as a prize. The  
prize on this ticket isn't  
advertised, so no one can scream foul. So it's all nice and semi-  
legal."  
Fraser nodded.  
"So give it to her, make sure she gets the money and get her  
back home. O.K.."  
Fraser nodded.  
"That takes care of her, but not Huey and Gardino."  
"I've  
been looking for a certain pair of cops, when I find  
them, I'll take  
care of Huey and Gardino and solve all my  
troubles."  
Fraser looked at the ticket again.  
"I hope this money isn't all the money you've made."  
Ray  
smiled.  
"No.. Though it's a huge chunk of it, it is *my money*. Not  
Dean's. And my agent has a huge stack of manuscripts he's working  
his way through. He says he's already fielding offers from  
publishers for my *unwritten* Around The World In Eighty Days,  
travelogue,  
and sending manuscripts off left right and centre,  
trying to get  
a publishing contract for me. That it's only a  
matter of time before he sews one up. And what he's being offered  
for my travelogue would cover that."  
"You'll have to do something about a fan club. Once Frannie  
gets over the excitement of winning all that money, she'll start  
the whole thing over again."  
"Well, my agent actually brought up opening a fan club, I  
told  
him to arrange it, but to make sure whoever runs it isn't  
someone  
who's just out to latch onto me. Frannie isn't the first  
person to  
get the idea.. I've been approached by two others.  
Pounced on is more like it. One was just after a chance to be  
able  
to run it to become a personal secretary to me, the other  
was talking  
about the money side of it. My agent said he'd find  
some who's capable  
of running it who won't pester me."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"Maaaaaa! Mariaaaaa!"  
"Francesca! You're back."  
Her mother came bustling over wiping hands on her apron  
smelling of delicious food, and her sister was soon hanging over  
the stair rail to find out what her mother was so excited about.  
Fraser smiled up at her.  
"Your sister won a large prize in a lottery."  
Maria ran down the stairs to be shown the precious bank  
cheque and shrieked and there were hugs, tears and kisses all  
round  
when Frannie announced with a glance at Fraser that she was  
going  
to use it to pay off the mortgage.  
He'd used a subtle guilt campaign on her, when she'd started  
shrieking about all the things she could do with the money -  
paying  
the mortgage was not high on that list. But her hearts  
desire was  
Fraser and after realising he wouldn't respect her at  
all if she  
blew it, she'd announced she was going to pay out the  
mortgage and  
was rewarded for it with a sunny smile and a kiss on  
the cheek that  
made her day.  
The excitement Frannie's announcement generated died off  
when her mother remembered their guest and grabbed Fraser's arm.  
"Benton, there's a man here to see you, he arrived this  
morning, he flew a long way to find you. He said he's got  
something important to discuss with you about a family member."  
Fraser left them to their celebrations, and went to the  
lounge where he was less than surprised to see Sheriff Williams.  
Williams stood and offered his hand introducing himself and  
showing Fraser a newspaper clipping, the same article that had  
lead  
to his discovering his name had been cleared.  
"What is this about?"  
"My step brother spent quite a few years trying to find  
blood relatives. And discovered one on his mother's side, a  
cousin, Allen Pinset."  
Fraser's eyes widened.  
"He lived and worked in our community for a time till he  
discovered  
your existence through that article, you look a lot  
like him. He  
investigated and learned it wasn't a coincidence,  
you were related.  
He left, intending to come here, to Chicago, in  
the hope you'd return  
after you found out your name had been  
cleared. So he could meet you. He got side tracked.. Hired a car  
outta town and came back... I'm afraid he... had an accident on  
the  
Highway. A fatal one... We found what was left of the car,  
wrapped  
around a tree... The coroner says he probably died  
instantaneously."  
Fraser sat fast, putting on a good act. The Sheriff told him  
what a good man Allen was and how their community would miss him.  
And passed on a pitifully small bag of belongings they'd  
recovered. And mentioned a larger personal possession Mrs Vecchio  
had carried up to his room.  
"He loaned it to a... friend. I recovered it and brought it  
with me. My brother said, you probably appreciate it more."  
"I appreciate your coming all this way to tell me."  
"I  
was coming this way on business anyway... Seem's there's  
some Chicago  
cops causing a little trouble for my brother in law.  
I came to take  
care of it."  
"Oh."  
"Well, I can hear the ladies, so I guess I'm intruding on  
some  
celebration.. I'll be going now.."  
"I... met Allen."  
The Sheriff stopped and looked at him.  
"And I did know him... We ran into each other, before he  
became  
a Ranger in your county. He helped me, when that was what  
I needed..  
"  
"When you were on the run?"  
Fraser nodded.  
"Has a funeral been held?"  
"His cousin, my step brother will be paying for the funeral.  
It will be held a week from now."  
"I'll be there. Thank-you, for coming to deliver the news  
personally."  
"Like I said, I'm here on business anyway."  
Fraser showed him out and went up to his room to find the  
rug he'd left at Dean's for Ray to use, Meghan's good bye gift to  
"Allen Pinset." Now if only they could get the Chicago Police  
of  
George's tail, he could leave, and carry out his plan. He now  
had  
a reason to return to the county, he was sure he could turn it  
into an opportunity to settle up there, and be there for Ray when  
he needed him.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser was preparing to leave for work a few days later when  
he opened the door just as Lieutenant Welsh was about to knock.  
Lieutenant  
Welsh asked him to fetch Mrs Vecchio and stay if  
possible. He called his boss and made his excuses then brought  
Mrs  
Vecchio in.  
With great tact, Lieutenant Welsh told her that the hope  
they'd find Ray alive had died. Two different sources confirmed  
it.  
A pair of detectives Huey and Gardino had run into while  
trying to talk to the man they believed Ray was impersonating,  
who'd  
learned the two men had met.  
"He met Fiorella at the station, gave Dief to that man,  
intending to get him back. We're not sure of the timing but it  
seems  
about right... Ray told him about Victoria... Identified  
her to him,  
that's how he knew enough to tip us off."  
"You're not talking about George Fiorella are you?"  
"I  
am."  
"So it was Dief in those pictures."  
"These days he goes by the name Chow Hound."  
"How appropriate."  
"He's well cared for or so I'm told... The second source was  
the Sheriff of the County Mr Fiorella has made his official  
residence. He confirmed the man Victoria claimed was Ray was  
really Mr Fiorella, you see Mr Fiorella was horribly scarred in  
an  
incident, and we were able to establish the man we thought was  
Ray  
has the same scars... The lead was a dead end... We found  
your son...  
When we found his car."  
Mrs Vecchio took the news with composure, she'd already  
mourned for Ray when the body had been found, the faint hope  
they'd given her was just that, a faint hope. She didn't trust  
Victoria's  
statement, and had said at the start she was just  
causing more trouble.  
"Now can we put him to rest?"  
Lieutenant Welsh nodded.  
"There is just one last thing... There were enough bone  
fragments left to get a DNA sample... We could positively  
identify the remains if.."  
"Leftenant haven't the family been put through enough  
already, those tests take time, you've wasted enough hounding a  
man  
who's only crime was to look like Ray thanks to Victoria's  
mischief.  
Ray died before he was *physically* murdered. He said  
it himself,  
to Elaine on one occasion."  
"Yes... I'm aware of it... but the evidence..."  
"Is inconclusive. I've kept up to date on it, through  
Elaine, I know you can't prove a thing one way or the other. I've  
tried, and come to the same dead end. Victoria started it, it's  
causing  
his family nothing but pain, let it end now."  
"Benton is right. That woman will get no more enjoyment out  
of making us suffer. I want to bury my boy... I don't want to  
wait  
weeks to find out what we already know. That he is dead. If  
he were  
alive, don't you think he would have returned, once he  
learned she  
was gone, that Benton had been cleared."  
"He didn't remember him."  
"Benton visited him in hospital. My son asked about him  
after he vanished, till you told him about Victoria and how he  
disappeared.  
Then he didn't talk about Benton any more, but I  
know he didn't give  
up on Benton. Benton and my Francesca were  
the only people he responded  
well too because they were there at  
his bed side, while he was comatose,  
reading to him, he knew  
their voices, they brought him back.. He wanted to find that  
woman to make her pay for taking away the only friend he felt he  
had... I heard him talking to Diefenbaker.. Promising to find him  
\- his body if he was dead, her, to pay for it."  
"Do you know how he knew she was alive?"  
"I think I can answer that question, Leftenant."  
Welsh looked to Fraser.  
"She was with me the last time I went to the hospital, she  
knew  
I was visiting him. I found her there after she shot Dief,  
trashed  
my apartment and went into hiding to make it look like  
Jolley was  
behind it."  
"Ah... Yes... I remember you said you met her at the  
hospital after that."  
"He either saw her, or heard her at the door... She didn't  
come  
into the room... I thought it was odd. I wanted to introduce  
her  
to him... I realised why she was doing it after you told me  
she was  
supposed to be dead and she told me no one would believe  
me that  
I'd seen her because of how careful she'd been to never  
be seen with  
me."  
"Yes that would explain it. He was very good at recognising  
voices, in the hospital. If she talked in his hearing he would  
remember  
her voice. Remember where he heard it, that she was with  
Benton when  
he visited."  
Welsh looked at Fraser.  
"There's just one other question I have - for you. And it is  
just between us."  
Fraser nodded slowly.  
"The man you said you rescued, who helped you get back to  
Chicago  
wasn't either George Fiorella or Dean Alexander was it.."  
Fraser  
gave a weak smile.  
"They saw me with him."  
"It was George."  
Mrs Vecchio looked at Fraser wide eyed.  
"You know this man and you never admitted it."  
"I didn't want Frannie to find out."  
"So you lead her, and by default, Huey and Gardino on a wild  
goose chase.."  
"They were there???"  
"Don't act innocent, I know that you know they were tailing  
you, you're too good to have missed it. They worked out you knew  
when you managed to keep giving them the slip."  
"Why didn't you introduce her to him, you knew how much she  
wanted to meet him, Benton, you could have arranged that."  
"I...  
thought it was better for them not to meet. And... I  
knew as the  
Leftenant said, that we were being tailed. I did  
investigate Mr Fiorella's history... I knew it was just a  
coincidence... There are six other men in this country who could  
pass as Ray's twin, I used the resources I have to investigate  
their  
back grounds too."  
"No luck."  
"I believe you found Ray when you found those remains in his  
car. Victoria managed to convince us otherwise, now we know how  
he  
knew who she was, there is no reason to think it was anyone  
else."  
"I just doesn't make sense... She passed a polygraph test,  
she  
didn't kill him... Suicide would make sense... Faking his  
death,  
would make sense... No one outside Victoria had a reason  
to murder  
him."  
"I can think of one.. I believe Ray intended to leave.. He  
talked  
about releasing Dief in the wild to his mother."  
She nodded.  
"He told Fiorella to do it if he didn't get in touch by a  
certain  
time."  
"He must have been at the station, intending to leave by  
train  
when he heard her, recognised the voice... Seen her  
following him.."  
"That fits what we know."  
"It does?"  
Welsh nodded.  
"We also know Victoria didn't kill him."  
"No... But he withdrew a lot of money from the bank... Over  
$200,000 all up. Someone who saw him do so may have followed  
him... from the bank... I investigated. There is no money trail I  
could find, the money just vanished. Perhaps, because he was  
killed for it. Around here, people have been killed for  
considerably less."  
Welsh nodded and rose.  
"We'll start hunting for someone who was flashing a lot of  
cash  
at the time he vanished... Perhaps we'll get somewhere, we  
haven't  
on any other angle we've investigated."  
"I want to put him to rest," Mrs Vecchio reminded him.  
"I'll make the arrangements to have his remains released to  
the family by morning Mrs Vecchio."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Ray Vecchio was finally buried three days later. Fraser had  
attended his funeral and resigned from the detective agency who  
were  
sorry to see him go. He asked for and got a good reference,  
before  
he departed.  
Frannie was heart broken when he announced he was leaving  
town, she'd still had hopes. He told her he meant what he said,  
about  
Victoria putting him off women for life. But told her, if  
things  
had been different he might have eventually come around.  
She kissed  
his cheek called him a liar, and wished him luck.  
Ray's mother wondered why he didn't stay to find Ray's killer.  
"Opportunists  
are the hardest criminals to catch, if he can  
be found, the police  
will do it, now they're on the right track."  
She made him promise  
to stay in touch, and presented him  
with some of Ray's things as a parting gift. One of those things  
was the rest of Ray's book collection because she knew he would  
have  
wanted Fraser to have it.  
He took a taxi to the airport, and was highly surprised when  
Frannie raced across the terminal to latch onto him all  
excitement with wonderful news that had come in after he left.  
  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser stood among the mourners in black at his cousin's  
funeral, being glanced at a lot. Quite a number of people  
witnessed his alleged first meeting with Dean and heard him  
invite Fraser to stay at his place for as long as he was in the  
area.  
Fraser accepted and left with Dean and Ray.  
He spent the whole trip out wanting to talk to Ray, but  
unable too. It was the same once they reached the house. Ray went  
straight to bed. Dean stayed up to talk to Fraser about his plans  
and how to go about them.  
Fraser had to wait for two whole days to get Ray alone to  
talk to him.  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
"What?!"  
"She told me at the airport."  
"Of all the people he could chose, why did he have to chose  
her?!" Ray raged.  
"Because she agreed to the terms. And I believe one was that  
she not pester you - and her location may have been a deciding  
factor  
as well. She lives in Chicago - she can't pester you from  
there unless  
he gives her your number."  
"I'll make sure he doesn't."  
"I also have good news. The police in Chicago have finally  
decided  
the remains they found were yours, they wanted your  
family to provide DNA samples for matching, to positively  
establish it, but I was able to get them release the remains  
without it. Raymond Vecchio has been put to rest."  
"So.. Was it a nice funeral?"  
"Yes."  
"Spare me the details.. It's kind of morbid talking about  
your  
own funeral."  
Fraser gave a faint smile.  
"Your mother gave me some of your things, she thought I  
might like them.. I'm having them shipped out. I got the rest of  
your books."  
"Hey great... I tried to find some I left behind but they're  
out of print."  
"Getting the Sheriff to make the police in Chicago stop  
trying to interview you was a good move."  
"It was his own idea, or Dean's.. I don't know who's."  
"Does Dean know who you were?"  
Ray shook his head.  
"I may have physically been him, but the person I am is the  
person he knows, loves and married. I don't want him finding out  
who I was... because that man is dead... Let him stay that way."  
Fraser nodded.  
"Now tell me about Benton Fraser.. What are his plans for  
the  
future?"  
"I like this place.. The people.. The land... I've still got  
my land in Canada.. I was thinking of selling it, and settling  
here."  
"Why not go back to Canada? Don't you have friends there?"  
"The cabin was burned down to the ground.. All I have left  
is  
the land.. And what they could salvage.. All my bridges  
burned.. Victoria saw to that.. And I don't think... I could go  
back  
to the life I once had. I had to adapt to the life I came to  
live...  
I don't think I want to return to the lonely existence I  
had. I can  
start off fresh here."  
"What will you do?"  
Fraser shrugged.  
"I've got some money.. I thought I'd take some time and  
think about it. There are a number of options open to me. If Dean  
would let me stay here, I could roam the park, make friends with  
all the rangers again. Perhaps set up a business running guided  
tours..."  
"Sounds like a good idea to me."  
"Or I could join a private detective agency.. use my skills  
in that area."  
"Lean pickings."  
"Perhaps.."  
"Ever consider modelling?"  
"What?"  
"Dean's got some pictures of you. You're photogenic.. And my  
writing carer's going no where."  
"What?!"  
"Oh, I'm still making money with my column, and I'm writing  
that book about my world trip. But the publishers just aren't  
interested  
in buying anything else I've written. I was depressed  
about that,  
till Dean made me look at the picture I took of him.  
The arty one..  
He suggested I try photography. I've got all the  
equipment... He  
gave it to me for my birthday back a while. I  
decided to give my  
agent till the end of the year to get me a  
writing deal, outside  
of the travel writing. If it falls through,  
I'll see about the photography.  
Dean made enquiries.. I could  
make a living out of it.. If I had  
a good model, did an  
exhibition and my agent went after the right companies.."  
"Why  
do you have to make a living out of it? Dean can  
support you while you explore artistic photography."  
"I don't want him to have to support me, I want to be able  
to  
stand on my own two feet. He knows how I feel and encourages  
me to  
do it. He wants me to do some more travelling once the work  
on the  
Museum goes into full swing. He says he'll be so busy he  
won't have  
time for me... It would be the best time for it...  
While my world  
trips still fresh in peoples minds. I won't have  
any trouble finding  
sponsors."  
"You're still newly weds, you should spend more time  
together."  
"That's what I said. I've still got that book to write, I'm  
saving it for when he's so busy with his work he doesn't have any  
time for me. It'll help me pass the time. I thought I'd mess  
around with a little photography in the mean time. Find a studio  
in the city... Visit some galleries... Buy some books.. And  
there's house hunting."  
"House hunting?"  
"The penthouse is Anderson's. Unless Dean has plans to build  
a house of his own when the museums done, we'll need to find a  
place  
of our own. Some place just outside the city with room for  
Dief to  
run around in."  
"Maybe you should ask Dean what his plans are before you  
start  
house hunting."  
"I think I'll ask him tonight."  
  
:---=====(*)=====---:  
  
Fraser winced as he heard raised voices, followed by a door  
slamming. Ray stomped through the house, and out. He almost  
followed but then thought better of it. He could guess what  
they'd argued about.  
=Not Ray - George. Ray is dead and buried, you must learn to  
think of him as George or risk calling him Ray by accident when  
that  
could lead to nothing but trouble.=  
It was hard, to keep Dean's secret from George. But that was  
the way Dean wanted it. Dean would keep George oblivious to it  
as  
long as he possibly could. Fraser chose to avoid a  
conversation that could lead to him saying the wrong thing or  
blurting  
the truth out.  
All married couples argued sometime. So this was Dean and  
George's first real fight. They'd patch things up on their own  
without  
his interference. He was sure of that. Just as he was  
sure they loved  
each other. It wasn't hard for Fraser to see why  
George had fallen  
for Dean, he was the perfect man for George.  
The innocent taking  
his first stumbling steps in life. Like a  
young man leaving home  
for the first time, he thought he knew  
everything and found that  
he really knew very little, but he was  
learning and growing and his  
experiences were shaping his life.  
Much as Fraser's banishment to  
Chicago had reshaped his.  
He had to let Ray - George live that life without  
interfering in it. Settling here would give him a chance to start  
a new life, and be ready to be there for George when Dean passed  
away. Till then he'd keep in touch and hope one day Ray would  
turn  
to him as he turned to George.  
That hope would keep Fraser going through the rough patches  
that were sure to follow.  
  
*---==================(*)==================---*  
The End of "The Coming of Shadows"  
*----------=====(*)=====----------*  
  
  
  
  
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